The Crowned Stag
by elsineur
Summary: Cass is the sister of King Robert Baratheon and wants nothing to do with Winterfell, though she had lived there for two years during his rebellion. She is forced to join his host north, only to be dragged into events that lead to the crumbling of her house and honor. It becomes a struggle between what she knows is right, what she knows will keep her safe, and who she loves most.
1. To Winterfell

A/N:

This is completely different than the things I usually write, which is not obvious from this account but oh wells. I usually don't do OCs. I usually hate them because it's so easy to. But GoT is depressing (though wonderful) and this is fanfic, so I thought: screw it, this is happening.

That being said, I''m not going to publish this and pretend like it's never been done before because that's just silly. But I wanted to make an OC and have changes to the events that are plausible and maintain the story. So basically this is a happier retelling of the story from a new character's POV. And I'm basically just hoping that it's well written and stays as close to the book as possible without driving myself insane with _A Song of Ice and Fire_ research.

Also, it's fair to say that I have no clue how depressing I want to make this. I want to save people but I also just want to have them die in different ways. Or the same ways. I want a love story but I don't know exactly who the love interest is (I'm leaning towards Hot Pie...nah, just kidding :D). So I guess what I'm saying is, don't expect this to be _too_ happy, but also that I'm open to ideas. I have a basic road map of plot in my mind (Watch out for potential spoilers!) but am currently very malleable to all you lovely readers.

This is the boring intro chapter that really sprung from the thought of, "where the heck was baby Renly through that whole rebellion thing?" I will not be insulted if you hate it (okay, yeah I might be. My poor sensitive writer's heart, haha). Apologies in advance for any messed up facts. Westeros is a lot to handle.

Disclaimer: My brain does not have the capacity to create this world. Goodness no. So I do not own _Game of Thrones _the series or _A Song of Ice and Fire_.

* * *

**Cassana **

Her mother died almost 18 years ago. It was an accident-a work of nature. The _Windproud_ rocked lifelessly through the tides that day, so much so that eventually it lay in heaps of wood and cloth and bodies in the unforgiving sea. She didn't remember her mother or her father. Stannis and Robert did, and Renly and she used to sit after they were done with the maesters and listen to them talk about it. She didn't remember much before Robert was king, but he liked to tell her stories of those times.

Robert always said she was a true beauty. The Lady of Storm's End had dark hair and eyes, like she did, and was always smiling. Stannis remembered her differently. Cassana Estermont was a strong woman. She was stern and lovely. Polite yet forceful. She was the epitome of what the Lady of Storm's End should be, and half the time she thought that the only thing she shared with her mother was their looks and name.

She barely remembered Storm's End, whatever knowledge she was supposed to have when she was younger was filled in much later after the rebellion. She was born there though and stayed there for about a year before Robert left and a man came to take her north.

"_Dear gods Ned, please keep them safe."_

She did not remember when the Lord of Winterfell was in her house, but Renly did. She was so young, barely old enough to start making memories, but he described him of having long face and grey eyes. Their Septa was packing up their bags and handing them to the man with a wolf on his chest. "Where am I going?"

"North, Renly." Robert was running his fingers through her dark hair again. Her infant mind did not perceive it, but Renly would tell her of it years later. "You'll be safe up north and away from this place."

"But what about Stannis?"

"Stannis is staying here."

Two years later, she would hate that Renly came with her. She much rather have had Robert or Stannis. At least Stannis didn't bother her. But she was just a babe then. She did not understand that Stannis had to stay behind and defend their home as their brother fought on other lands.

Renly didn't understand then either. He was only 3 or so. "Are we going to where Lady Lyanna is from? Are you a Stark too?"

"Yes," The tall man nodded, pain in his voice. "I'm Eddard Stark."

"Then I _might _trust you."

Robert likes to tell the story that even she took on her brother's attitude and held up her chin high then, staring down Lord Eddard Stark directly while the Septa held her in her hands, eyes never falling. Cass Baratheon doubted that much. She did not think she had that sort of capacity at so young an age. She was surprised that _Renly _could even talk coherently.

"How's Catelyn, Ned? Gods know you'd be the only man stupid enough to get married before a war."

Eddard's eyes drifted down. "She's angry that I'm doing this to be honest."

"Ah, as long as they aren't yours you're bringing home, Ned, I doubt you have much to worry about."

Eddard made no reply.

Robert folded some of the maps on the table and gave a note to Stannis. "Ah, and is it too early to say? You did the deed, didn't you? What's going to be his name, huh? I bet you have a son."

"We aren't sure yet."

"Brandon's the more traditional name. Too much?"

Eddard rubbed his hands together. "Not for the first born."

"Then what?"

"I was thinking Robb."

"Ah, now _that's_ a good name."

"Not the same spelling, Robert." Lord Eddard turned back and took Cass from her Septa's arms, speaking to her kindly, "Child, let's go. You'll love Winterfell."

"She won't." Robert bellowed. "It's too bloody cold and cloudy for anyone to love. She'll love King's Landing. Do you hear that Cass? Soon we'll be living in King's Landing."

She met Catelyn Stark soon after that, and a year later, when she was two and old enough to understand the lessons from her Septa's, Cass thought she was the opposite of what the Lady of Winterfell should be. Her hair was red, her eyes bright blue, and she had the smell of the south and summer on her. The Starks were a cold house-one of winter and snow and ice. Lady Catelyn was none of these things, and Cass found that comforting.

Catelyn Stark was not happy to receive her or Renly initially. She didn't show it. She was polite, as a lady should be, but there was stress in her eyes. She was pregnant, and her husband was going off to war. Cass had been hurried to a room in one of the twisted towers with Renly across from her. She had a live in Septa because she was so young.

She knew she was not from the north though as soon as she started recognizing speech. The servants spoke to her and Renly differently, saying the name _Baratheon_ every time, seeming to differentiate it in their mouths between the shorter, crisper _Stark. _ She was a Baratheon, a Lady of Storm's End and the south, even though she did not remember the place. Even now, Winterfell was a blur of ice and grey towers. She had spent almost two years there with Renly, but all she could remember was snow and trees and the birth of a screaming, red-haired babe.

Her memories of Winterfell were grim besides that. Everyone looked worried because their lord was gone and the man who was to replace him could barely talk. Robb Stark was a small baby by the end of the rebellion. She remembered being dragged to play with him. He had curly red hair and bright blue eyes and looked wholly like his mother. But he was boring, as most babies were, and her memories didn't stretch to anything beyond that.

So when Robert, no longer a lord and now king, told her that she was meeting her old friend again, she couldn't help but be confused. "Who are you speaking of brother?"

He was seated on the Iron Throne, Queen Cersei, not Lyanna, sitting next to him. She didn't really mind Cersei much. They never talked really, only when necessary, and she was smart enough, Cass supposed. Cersei wasn't really paying any attention to her now. This was a trivial matter for court, just an announcement. The Hand had died recently, but the somber mood disappeared from the Red Keep almost as fast as it came. Cass had liked Jon Arryn, though she did not know him well. He was friendly to her and kind and always looking out for her best interests. Though she must admit he did act strange when he came close to death, she still remembers him when she had just turned 13.

"_She's far too young, Robert. Let her grow. Do you want some man taking advantage of her?"_

That was all her eldest brother needed to hear. Robert suddenly had the great impression that no man was good enough. He had half the mind to send Cass away from court and back to Storm's End, but Renly and he were both here. Dragonstone was also brought up, but Cass had no love for the old Targaryen land. She had been in King's Landing since she was little, and here she would stay. _Until I am married. _ Cass had the sinking sensation that maybe her brother was trying to bring that topic up again.

_I am not yet an old maid. _ She sighed to herself and kept her eyes solid on her brother's. _I am not, though I should marry soon or I will be. _"Who is this friend of mine?"

"I think he means the Stark boy." Renly yawned from beside the king. Lord Varys and Lord Baelish flanked him. All of the small council seemed to be present, and Cass knew this was of some importance.

The Starks of Winterfell had three boys, if Cass remembered correctly, but only one was of marrying age. "I...I don't understand." She didn't want to understand.

"The gods, Robert, just tell her we're all going to Winterfell." Cersei moved on her throne impatiently, eyes looking even more radiant against her green silk clothes. "Lady Cassana, pack your things. Robert decided to leave early."

"And when is early, Your Grace?"

"Tomorrow." Cersei was obviously not happy about this little trip either.

Cass didn't understand the point. "Do not mind the question, Your Grace, but why are we all to Winterfell?"

"Not all." Renly said. "I am staying here."

Cass laughed, "Then please excuse me again, but I am even more confused. I can see your wife, dear Robert, but why must I?" She had things to do in King's Landing. Her brown eyes strayed to Jaime Lannister, but he shrugged the white cloak on his shoulders and said nothing.

"The Lord and Lady Stark are curious to see how you have grown, dear sister. Renly has business here while I am gone. And I will have no more questions. Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are coming as well. You will have good company."

_Yes, I absolutely am a wonder with children. _ She could practically hear her brother laughing even though he was just smiling at her. Cass curtsied, her red dress billowing as she lowered herself down, and then she turned away.

As she reached the exit, she heard uneven footsteps echo against the stone floors. Cass turned around and found herself curtsying again. "Lord Tyrion." She was ashamed to say she had judged Tyrion too quickly when they had first met. She had never seen someone that...size before, and he was quite different compared to his other two siblings-both tall and blonde and too beautiful. But he also held something different and was one of her favorite people to try and match wits with, though she did often lose. "I did not expect you to be in King's Landing."

"Castelry Rock grows dull and dangerous with only my father for company." He rolled his eyes. "Jaime sent me a letter after Lord Arryn died saying he was accompanying my sister and your brother to Winterfell. I have not been to the north for too long."

"And I never."

"Ah, you know that's not true." Tyrion raised a knowing finger. "You were just a babe the first time you went, Lady Cassana."

"If I do not remember any of it, I do not know how it can count."

"You remember none of it?"

That was a lie. She remembered the ancient looking stone keep. She remembered cold air and a red haired baby. "I remember my brother coming home from war a king."

Tyrion smiled. "A true Baratheon, aren't you? Come that's no fun, but very well then. Robert and Eddard Stark are close friends. It would be wise to align the great houses."

"Wise but unlikely." Cass lengthened her pace, suddenly not liking where this conversation was headed. "I'm a stag, not a doe. Nor am I meat to sell."

"Did I suggest you, my lady?" Tyrion's eyes flickered. "Ah, I am sorry for that. It was not my intention. How old are you now?"

"Eighteen."

"I understand you better now. It is strange that Robert did not find you a husband."

He had tried a couple times. Cass even liked some of them, but her brother was picky and protective. "He does not think there is a man worthy of me yet." She stopped. "Which is silly. I am not a goddess. I will not be protected from the world of men forever."

"Maybe you should be." Tyrion let the statement fall before asking in a lighter tone, "When was the last time you have left the Red Keep, Lady Cassana?"

She could not answer that. She knew what he had meant. When was the last time she was just allowed out. When was the last time she felt like she wasn't _stuck. _"It has been a long time."

"Tomorrow you're to Winterfell." Tyrion smiled. "It seems that you may just get your wish."

* * *

Cass did not like traveling with her brother's party. It was long. Arduous. Slow. There were too many wagons and carriages and small children, and it had taken an extra three days to get to Winterfell than it should have. Cass pulled back slowly on the reins of her horse. Everything here seemed to be painted in greys and blues. The sky, the keep, even the grass had a blue tint from the left over summer snows. "It's so cold." She saw her breath as she exhaled and curled under her furs. "The temperature drops as soon as we cross into the Winter Lord's borders."

"Perhaps that is why they are called the Lords of Winter." Jaime Lannister was one of the finest men of the Kingsguard. She knew that many people thought him wicked for killing Aerys, and even Robert was uncomfortable with him around sometimes. But Cass didn't really understand that too well. _Aerys Targaryen was mad. He burned people alive. _ Was it disloyalty that made Jaime break his vows? Or was it good sense?

"It would make sense." Cass looked at her companion. "The River Lords have rivers, the Targaryens had their dragons, but where are your lions, Ser Jaime?"

"Where's your stag?" Jaime trotted even closer. "You know as well as I do, Cass, that the coat of arms is a representation not a fact. I suspect you think the Starks will have direwolves running about."

"Perhaps." Cass smiled, "Yet I think I would have remembered those."

Jaime scowled, "I forgot Robert had you sent to this place."

"Would you have rather me starved in Storm's End? Eating rats and dogs?"

"Gods no. He should have sent you to Casterly Rock." Jaime glanced behind them to the wagon. "My sister insisted I come here."

"I'm glad she did. I hate to miss training."

Jaime laughed, "I hope you don't mean swordplay. You are so _bad _at swordplay, my lady."

"There are other ways at playing." Cass's dark eyes went over the towers and gates. Winterfell was ancient. It was beautiful.

"Yes, some much more suitable for women."

Cass raised an eyebrow, "And what, Ser Jaime, were you thinking of?"

He ran a hand through his golden hair, not even seeming to care about the enormous keep in front of them. "My knight's morality prohibits me from saying it. Come, hold back. Robert will want to arrive first to see his beloved Ned."

She did as she was told and let her brother's horse and caravan overtake them. There were whispers and people throughout the streets, and Cass blushed. She didn't like this type of attention. The stares. The points. They muttered words about her saddle, her clothing, about who exactly she was for they had never seen her before.

"That's _not _the queen. The queen's a Lannister. This one has black hair."

"Baratheon then. All the Baratheon's have the dark color. Must be the sister."

She didn't bother to correct them. Not all the Baratheons had dark hair, but Cass paid it no real attention. They were being let in to the inner gates of Winterfell, and there was a line of people waiting outside for them, mostly in height order. Cass suddenly found herself struggling to remember her lessons. _The Starks have too many children._

"You got fat."

Her brother had no reason to comment on something like that. But they were old friends, he and Ned, and they both shared a laugh before Robert examined each of Ned's children and the Lady Catelyn. Cass ran her eyes across them trying to remember. _The little one..Rickon. Then Brandon-the Starks always pick that name. Then the girl...the tomboy...San-no, that's the older one. Arya. Arya Stark. Then Sansa. And of course, Robb. _ _Robb Stark's the heir to Winterfell. _ He did not look like the babe she had played with, nor should he have. His red curls had darkened into a brownish auburn, his blue eyes less bright and more water like than anything she had seen. And behind him was a boy of equal age, which confused Cass. There was never any mention of a second child that she played with. She would think he was a servant, but his coloring and face had more Stark to it than the majority of Ned's children.

Cersei grimaced as Robert immediately decided to head to the crypts. Cass wished her brother had been more thoughtful of her. It wasn't like Cersei was the most romantic or sensitive of woman, but having your husband be in love with someone who has been dead for almost two decades would do damage to anyone.

She thinly smiled. "I suppose it is my responsibility to introduce the rest of our party." Cersei gestured directly behind her. "These are my children, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen." Cass saw the glow on Sansa's face, and Tyrion's words rang back to her. _It would be wise to align our houses. He's right. _ "And my two brothers, Ser Jaime and Lord Tyrion Lannister. And my sister-in-law, Lady Cassana Baratheon."

She declined her head as her name presented itself, and Catelyn moved forward to hold her horse's reins. "It is wonderful to see you again, Lady Cassana. The last time we met, you were a pink, whinny, and little thing."

"Not much has changed, unfortunately, Lady Stark." Cass smiled. She recognized this woman, if just barely. "I must admit I do not remember Winterfell too well. I hope some of the memories of this place resurface on this visit."

"Please, dismount."

She did with ease. Cass had worn pants on this journey with boots. She was dressed more man than lady, but it was worth it for the comfort. The saddle always tore through her silks. "Thank you."

"Our servants will show you to your rooms and bring you your things. Please think Winterfell as your home."

The children watched her and the rest of the party with curious and some wary eyes, and Cass had a sinking feeling that they weren't exactly welcomed by all. But she smiled again, lowered her head, and followed some girl in plain, grey clothes inside.


	2. The Godswood

A/N:

I think me updating this fast will be a rare, rare thing. But I figured, I'm new to this and my readers deserve more than boring intro chapters, so here's the next part!

Thanks to everyone who has read so far and my reviewers: _i-need-shine_,_ LiviLottie_ (I think the Lannisters do tend to stay in there...inner circle, but Cass and Renly don't really get along, forcing her to "befriend" some other people in the Red Keep. Or at least get along with), _Hendrickx E_, and _HermioneandMarcus_. I absolutely love hearing what you guys think of my writing, especially since this is my first Game of Thrones fic (something I'm so utterly nervous about).  
Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I am not George RR Martin. Otherwise I'd be writing real things so that my fanbase doesn't attack me.

* * *

Sansa was the first of the Stark children she spoke to-well, unless she had spoken to Robb 15 years ago, but that surely didn't count. The red headed girl came to her room, the perfect lady, and asked if she were okay, if she needed anything, if she were too tired to eat with them that night.

"Gods no," Cass practically laughed. "I doubt there's a time I am ever not hungry. I must be careful though or I'll turn out like Robert."

Sansa gave an awkward grin, unsure whether to laugh or not. Cass did for her and said, "It is funny. Just because he's the king doesn't mean you aren't allowed to think he's fat."

She seemed to relax after that. "I see you changed."

Cass did. She assumed a dress was a little more appropriate for her standing. She picked a blue one too. Everything here seemed blue. "I don't prefer to smell like horse, do you?"

"I don't like riding that much. Arya does, but I could do without."

"The riding part is fine." Cass moved towards the door. "It's the after I don't like. Am I allowed to leave my room, Lady Sansa? Or does my brother wish for you to guard me in here?"

"No, no!"

Cass supposed she should be nicer. This Sansa did not seem to get her jokes. "Very well then. I am on my way to get lost in Winterfell. This seems like fun."

"I can direct you, Lady Cassana, if you wish. I only need to tell my Septa that..."

"Really, Sansa, I will be fine. A promising lady like you should not miss her lessons." Cass didn't mind exploring on her own. She wasn't being sarcastic when she said it was fun.

She followed Sansa down a couple of stairs until the girl turned to another tower to commence her work with her teacher. Cass found herself back into the main parts of the keep. Servants were busying themselves, running amuck most likely because the King was there. She passed the kitchens and smelled a stew of mushrooms and beef and heavy broth, and she felt and _heard_ her stomach react.

"You're the sister, aren't you? The Lady Baratheon."

She flinched and turned around. He had dark hair, standing out against his pale face and neck. He might be handsome, Cass thought, if not for the smirk on his face. But she was used to men with too much confidence, and she instead tried to figure out who this boy was. He had been outside too, next to the Stark looking boy that wasn't called a Stark. His clothes were too fine to be a servant, unlike the other boy, he did not seem Stark at all. _A ward then maybe. _"You have me at a disadvantage. I do not know your position or house."

"My position is anything that suits your needs." He grinned again. "And my house is one of the oldest houses in Westeros."

Her mind turned, ignoring the innuendo. "A Greyjoy then. I see." She remembered now hearing about when Balon Greyjoy rebelled. That was after she left and came to King's Landing. Balon's only living son was sent to the Starks for...safe keeping. "I am sorry but I forget the first name."

His smirk fell. "Theon."

"Ah, it is nice to meet you, Theon. Cassana Baratheon, but you already knew that." Cass grinned. "Are you hungry as well?"

He looked towards the kitchen and shook his head. "No, I was just heading out back to the grounds. I thought you would like to come watch me."

_And why would I want to do that? _ She looked at Theon again and saw his cockiness, the look that was familiar with wooers and suitors at court. He would try to bed her, she saw that now. And of course, he would be unsuccessful. But he didn't need to know that yet. "Yes, I would like that. But I fear I need something to eat first."

Theon turned to the kitchen again. "I will be right back."

* * *

She was walking to the training grounds, bread and cheese in hand, when she noticed two other boys of similar age, helmets on their heads, sparring in a dirt ring. To her surprise, Theon did not join them-nor even acknowledge them. He simply walked passed them to the archery range and found a bow. "Not a swordsman?" Cass asked between bites.

He shook his head and took two arrows. The first hit the bulls eye, and Cass would have been impressed if she hadn't seen it coming. The second, however, stunned her. Theon aimed the arrow and shot it straight through the first one, breaking the shaft clear in half.

"Jory tells you not to do that, Theon."

It was one of the boy's from before, but Cass' eyes were still trained to the arrow.

Theon made a low noise towards her. "It happens quite often you see."

"Jon, I think Theon's trying to impress her."

She turned at that, not wanting to be impressed even though she was. Cass curtsied when she saw the other boy across from her, his helmet now off. "Hello." She looked to the other boy next to him. His hair was black and his eyes grey. He really was very Stark looking, but that didn't make sense. "I'm afraid we have failed to meet each other yet." She approached him directly. 'I'm Cassana Baratheon."

"Jon." He said. He seemed confused at the acknowledgement, placing his sword towards the ground and looking to the boy to his side, uneasy.

"Jon...?"

"He's my half-brother, Lady Cassana." And that was all she needed to hear. He was Ned Stark's bastard, and she remembered Robert talking about it once or twice a decade before. Ned had brought another baby home from war, but Cass hadn't seen him. Robert's laughter went through her head,"_She must have been one hell of a girl to make Ned Stark forget his honor". _She hid the surprise from her face and looked next to Jon St-_no it isn't Storm here_- Jon Snow. His blue eyes caught her in the completely wrong way, looking as if she were intruding. "And we have yet to meet either, not really. I'm Robb Stark."

She smiled. "I know. You're my apparent best friend."

Robb loosened his grip on his sword and laughed. It was nice, and his eyes seemed to soften a bit. "They tell you that too? Did they also tell you that I don't remember you ever being in Winterfell?"

"Nor do I remember coming, but I'm here now." She offered her hand and he stared at it awhile, unsure, and then took it and kissed it lightly. "Apologies." She was blushing. She must have been embarrassed. "I have spent far too long in court."

"And I not enough, obviously. I have never left the North." Robb kept holding her hand, and after a cough from his half-brother Jon, he finally let it go. "You have thick gloves on, Lady Cassana."

"Rabbit, not wolf. I thought that would be appropriate. And gods know it's cold up here."

Theon grimaced. "I'm sure Grey Wind appreciates that."

Cass looked over to Theon and then back to Robb, "Who's Grey Wind?"

* * *

"He's perfectly harmless."

She didn't believe him. Grey Wind was a wolf- a big wolf. A _dire_wolf, and she didn't know how to react around him. He was with his brother Ghost, which coincidentally or not was Jon's wolf. Robb leaned on the trunk of a tree. She was uncomfortable enough in the godswood without these things. "I think he likes you."

Cass stared at him. Grey Wind stared back. "I am not sure how you got that impression."

Theon answered her, "He's not attacking you for one thing."

"Oh." Cass backed away from one of the trees. She knew what it was though she wasn't a believer in the Old Gods. The eyes seemed to be bleeding, crying with sap. Its face frightened her. "Good."

She edged closer to the big wolf, who was just lying down in the wood. His eyes perked up as she approached, and she slowly placed her hand on his head. "He's soft." She found herself shoulder to shoulder with Robb Stark, and Cass shot up, removing her hand. "I am sorry. I didn't mean..."

He looked as if he wanted to laugh at her again. "Why are you apologizing? Grey Wind doesn't mind being petted, just like any other." Robb looked behind him. "Right, Theon?"

"Shut up, Robb." He seemed to think over this thought for a time. "But you're right. I suddenly remember I have an appointment. Goodbye, Lady Cassana."

"Bye, Theon." She waved him off, eyes never retracting from the big beast in front of her. It was uncomfortable here and so cold, but looking at Robb and Jon, one would think they were at home by the fire. _They seem so at ease. _Cass remembered the trees behind her. "Southerners don't belong here."

"King's Landing is not too south." Jon offered.

"Though I am not originally from King's Landing." Cass finally turned and touched the bark of the tree with blood red tears. The godswood there was not this big or wild. The Heart Tree was a normal tree-an oak- but this one was something completely different. "Why is she so sad?"

Grey Wind and Ghost seemed to face it also before one of them caught sound of some sort of animal and started running off. The sudden action frightened her, and she turned around sharply, hands out.

Robb _was _laughing now. "What are you doing?"

"They frightened me." Cass fell out of her stance. "That's it."

"It looks as if you were about to knock something in the face."

She shrugged, "Well then I would have been prepared if there were something to knock. But there wasn't. Did either of you bring swords out here?"

The two young men looked at each other and then to their empty belts.

Cass nodded. "Exactly. Some protection you are. The King's sister could be hurt in a place like this."

* * *

She had him pinned to the ground, Jaime laughing and tossing his gold hair back. "Rather compromising position, isn't it?"

Cass pulled his arm back more, making him groan in pain. There was not that much force involved, but the angle was making Jaime's face grimace. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you."

Jaime Lannister tapped roughly on the stone floor. They were far away, some unused outside porch or something, but whatever it was, it would do for now. It had been hard to find a place the last week or so, but Jaime came to her three days ago with an option. Cass wasn't pleased with the hard surface, but she supposed it would have to do.

She waited until he hit the floor again before she loosened her grip and shot him a satisfied smirk. Jaime flexed his arm she had in a hold. "You'll tear it off one day."

"I doubt I could. And it's not like you're _actually_ trying that hard." Cass brushed the dust off her riding pants. "I'm not sure I ever really thanked you, Jaime." She wasn't sure what brought this on now. Maybe being in a foreign place, away from the Red Keep. Maybe she suddenly realized the world was huge and dangerous and she did not know how to navigate it. Her hands were cracked and bleeding, and she knew her knees would be bruised. Robert wouldn't mind though. He knew what she was doing. He had told her to do it. "When my brother told me to learn to defend myself, I don't think he expected you to volunteer."

Jaime shrugged the sentence off. "I'd lie and say it was my duty as the Kingsguard but you'd know better, wouldn't you?"

That was true. "Then why did you?" She had been young then, only 13, and men were already asking if she had flowered. It was not that Cassana was any exceptional beauty, like Cersei or even Sansa Stark, but she was a King's sister. That was enough to tempt most ambitious men.

"It was either that or watch your brother drink himself into a stupor." Jaime flexed his sword hand. "And you know I like fighting. That's that. Why are you bring so disgustingly sentimental?"

"I don't know," Cass admitted. "I guess I realized a lady can't carry a sword like a man can, and if she did, she'd be asking for attention. I am not as big as a knight or a sellsword." She smiled again. "But I want to thank you for enabling me to protect myself against them."

"Tricks, that's what it is. Some of it is art." Jaime moved to the armor of the Kingsguard, and Cass went to help her brother-in-law reattach his cloak. "Swordplay is the real art, Cass. If I could teach you that..."

"I'm horrid and you know it. Do not bring it up again."

He had tried once to teach her the sword, but Cass managed to cut her arms up more than she could touch Jaime. Jaime tried to persuade her to try with wooden ones, but she refused. He cracked a smile. "Are you forbidding it?"

"Yes." Her eyes narrowed. "Do I have that sort of power to forbid you from saying something?"

"No. I don't think anyone does really." Jaime flexed a bit in his armor. "Why are you not with the Starks?"

Cass blinked, "Doing _what_ exactly? They have their own things to occupy their time with. I, fortunately, have left my Septa years ago."

"That one boy is of age. You can be with him."

She sniffed at Jaime's comment. The Lannister's were not known for subtlety. "And do what?"

"Talk. Fuck. Hells if I know. I just do not think your brother wants you out here with me all day and not bonding with his beloved Starks."

Cass shrugged. "I suspect my brother will be satisfied enough with the union of his son and their daughter to care about my habits in Winterfell. Jaime..."

He was smiling then, and she had the feeling that she should ask him what it was about. But Cass stopped as she heard another pair of feet approach their fighting spot. She stiffened, and only exhaled a little when Cersei appeared around the bend, unaccompanied. "Brother, may I speak with you?"

The queen shot Cass a serious look, and Cass curtsied in her imaginary dress before tearing out of there. She did not like hanging out with any combination of the Lannister siblings. She had half the mind to search for Tyrion, knowing full well that he would not be with the twins, but the clashing of swords behind the barn drew her away from that idea immediately. It was the bastard, Cass realized, hitting a dummy harshly with a long sword. Cass smiled at his deftness with the blade, but the look soon faded when Jon Snow turned to face her. "Lady Cassana." He bowed. Snow did know his manners. The blade immediately dropped from his hand, clamoring against the stones and causing Jon to fall to the ground. "My apologies. I must look like..."

"You look like a hard worker." Cass eyed his dire wolf sitting silently beside him. Ghost stared at her with red, deep eyes. Like embers. Like fire in the icy snow. "Please do not stop training at my account. I will move on."

"Wait."

She hadn't suspected that. Cass turned around, facing his grey eyes as Jon Snow came closer and closer to her. His leather clad hands strayed to her neck, and Cass flinched back before he remembered himself. "I'm sorry. I should know better, really. It's...are you hurt, my lady?"

"Hurt?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I misunderstand."

"Your neck is bruised."

Her own hands strayed to that location and felt the tenderness of a big bruise above her collar bone. Cass waved it off. "It is my belief that women have just enough reason to defend themselves as men. I was also training."

"With a sword?" He didn't seem to mock her. He seemed generally confused. But his confusion turned into a smile as he found his own piece of metal within the straw. "My lady, you remind me of my youngest sister. She would be envious to know of your training."

"It is not with a sword that I train with, Jon Snow. A sword is impractical for a lady in court." She smiled larger at his confusion. "I train with my body, not a thin piece of metal. And I would prefer if you did not advertise this to the rest of your family. It...is not expected from me."

Jon smiled. "Well isn't that a good thing then?"

She didn't know what to say to that, to this boy who she caught off guard, but right now was catching her even more by surprise. Cass watched as he carved the sword through the air, slice after slice, and she wondered what possible future a bastard like him could have. _He'd be a good knight. _It was obvious to her he was a fighter. But he would never find a day in court. It was a shame, really. Cass found herself frowning before moving away.

She must have been distracted or confused by Winterfell for she did not notice Robb Stark or his heavy footed pace until she was crashing into it. Cass fell back, right on her butt, and touched her head where they had collided. There was a jostle of metal and awkward fumblings before she felt a hand encircle her own and drag her body off the stone. "Gods, I'm clumsy." Robb Stark didn't speak like an heir to a lord, and she liked that. His blue eyes met her instantly. "...Lady Cassana..." He swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"Both of our faults, I'm sure." She wiped away imaginary dust from her clothes and immediately felt self-conscious that she wasn't wearing a dress. "It seems that you are running from something, Lord Stark."

"Lord Stark is my father." Robb scratched his auburn hair. "But yes. I suppose you're right."

"And Lady Cassana is my mother." She flashed him a smile. He looked red in the cheeks and Cass continued., "May I inquire who?" Cass turned to him, eyes lifting. "You were running from of course."

"Who?" I mean, it's not really who but more what they were doing."

"It'll be hard for you to run then." She was about to walk away, but then realized she did not know where else to go. "Forgive me for asking, Robb, but what does one do in Winterfell? I have been here for a week or so and I am still at a loss."

"Unsurprising." Robb laughed. "Not much. I think your brother wishes to have a party tonight."

That was like Robert. "I suppose they're hunting for boar then."

"Not likely here. The wolves keep them away." Robb started walking, pausing when Cass didn't follow. She then walked forward to him, keeping her distance from the heir to Winterfell who only began to move again when she caught up. ""Is the Red Keep interesting?"

"No." Cass blushed. "I mean, it can be. I like court, actually."

"You get to stand and look pretty?"

"No, I don't. I-I don't think looking pretty is a source of entertainment." She paused. "Though the process is quite amusing."

"That explains Sansa quite a bit then." They continued to walk around the grey keep, their distance large but not enough that Cass could not feel the heat from his body. She rubbed her hands together, that part of her feeling suddenly cold so up north. They walked under archways in silence, eyes on the floor or ahead and never on each other. There was something about looking at each other that she did not wish to risk.

A few feet ahead, Cass stopped at a bed of dying flowers. Her hands brushed against some of the petals—memory returning. "...Where are we?"

"Just a garden." Robb stopped next to her. "What are you thinking of?"

"That I remember this place." She looked back to him, finally, and immediately regretted it. Her stomach twisted in anxiety and Cass felt too warm now for Winterfell. "We don't have flowers like these in King's Landing or Storm's End."

"Storm's End. I'd like to go there."

That took her by surprise. She'd expect Robb to say something about the capital if anything. "Why?"

"Sounds powerful. Your other brother did a good job during the war to maintain it."

She remembered learning about that with her Septa and the maesters. She felt bad for Stannis—bad for her people. "Their victory was hard earned." She'd like to go back there too. Though she would never be Lady of Storm's End. It was then she remembered that the Starks were one of the great houses in Westeros. That Robb was of her age, not betrothed, and...and.. "I think I'd like to get to know you."

His blue eyes seemed to deepen at that, looking darker but wholly more beautiful than Cass remembered. "Why's that?"

"What? You don't want to get to know me?" She smiled at him, and Robb swallowed before nodding his head.

* * *

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it is extremely idiotic." Cass let her legs straighten out, her tight pants melting around her in the frost. She was cold, and Robb watched her only shiver once before taking off his fur cloak and pulling it around her shoulders. "You can't just leave and travel around Westeros."

"I can afford to." Robb stiffened, still smiling but looking completely serious about what he was saying. "I told you I've never left here before. One day I'll be lord of Winterfell and won't be able to leave that often at all."

"You can't travel on your own though." Cass ran her fingers through the frost covered grass, still not thinking it was a good idea for someone with his status. Robb was young, and although he could fight, there were people in this world much darker and dirtier than he was.

"Maybe Jon will come with me."

Cass turned, "Jon Snow?"

"Yes. We can be brothers traveling Westeros together—seeing cities and people that we would never get to see here in the North. Theon would like it too."

"You could visit me at the Red Keep."

His face didn't change, but there was a tone in his voice that made him sound almost lighter. "I think I'd like that. Can I stand and look pretty beside you?"

"Yes..." Her face felt hot again. Cass stroked the fur collar, laughing his comment off. "I can't say I miss King's Landing actually, compared to this. The North is...nice. I thought it would be bleak and depressing, but I do not feel so alone here as I do in that castle by myself."

"Good. I'm glad Winterfell agrees with you."

It did. The godswood felt strange for sure, but sitting here, next to Robb, knee deep in frosty grass, Cass felt comfortable. She felt childish almost—young and free, without any worries of court or appearances or what difficulties Renly or the rest of the council were making for her oldest brother today. "Strange for someone so southern."

"My mother is from the Riverlands. She fairs just fine here."

"You look more Tully than Stark," Cass said for no reason besides the fact that it was true. He was broader than Eddard or Jon. His hair was reddish brown, not dark, and his eyes were like the rivers themselves—green and blue and fluid. "But there's something of your father in you." She noticed that too.

The initial comment didn't seem to affect Robb at all, but the second appeared to surprise him. "How so?"

"There's some physical resemblance, but that isn't what I meant. You're..." She didn't know the right term for it, didn't know if it was correct at all. "My brother always speaks well of your father. He is very noble—committed to what he thinks is right."

"He is. Most certainly."

"You are too." She wasn't sure if she meant it as a compliment or not, and as she saw Robb's face brighten, she realized that she hadn't meant it to be. If there was something she learned from living in the Red Keep, it was that nobility and honor only went so far. It gave you friends, but it also created enemies. And sometimes, not always, it was best to face your enemies from behind. Sometimes, the less noble route also saved your skin. "Robb?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever journey to the Red Keep, I'd want you to promise me something."

"Anything, Cass."

She cringed at that, his openness and willingness. "Please, do not promise me anything. Anything is dangerous. I could take advantage of you."

"I doubt as much."

"You underestimate me."

"Perhaps." Robb looked down. "But I never said I was good at reading the expectations of others."

"You should be." Cass bit her lip. "Good at reading people, I mean. The Red Keep has taught me not to trust so easily. But also, and maybe more importantly, not to make promises you don't want to keep." She thought of why they were here, of Lord Arryn who died and the hand that would need to replace him. Cass wandered if Robb knew, if he knew that he was going to be acting lord of this land faster than he thought. "I know that sounds backwards but..."

"Why are you telling me this?"

She expected his tone to be accusatory, but it wasn't. "For some odd reason, Robb Stark, I feel worried about you. I just want to look out for my best friend, I suppose."

He was so noble, she realized. Whereas Theon Greyjoy would be unlacing his trousers, Robb Stark wouldn't even reach for her hand. She saw him glancing at it, both of their palms bounded by leather gloves, but he didn't touch her. He kept his distance. He kept away from her, and somewhere in Cass' mind, she wished he wouldn't. _You barely know him_. Perhaps she should be taking her own advice.

"Lady Cassana?"

Robb stood up suddenly at the sound of his sister's voice and offered Cass his hand. "Yes, Sansa?"

Though Robb answered, Sansa ignored him and kept her eyes on Cass. "Queen Cersei asked me to find you. King Robert wishes to speak with you."

"Of course he does." Cass smiled towards Robb and curtsied, more for Sansa's benefit than Robb's, and followed Sansa back inside the castle of Winterfell. Robb didn't follow, which surprised Cass actually. But she only looked back once or twice for him. Maybe he'd come back in later.

* * *

A/N:

Lots of talking with the different guys of Westeros. Fun times. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!


	3. Banquets, Bastards, and Broken Things

A/N:

As I wait 15 minutes to see if HBO will upload Season 3 online, I thought a nice way to celebrate the premiere would be with a new chapter. What the heck.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading, favoriting, and following this story. It makes my heart go all aflutter. Special wonderful thanks to those reviewers since I posted last:

_I-Have-A-Dark-Side_, _Hendrickx E, Kaleighsu, HermioneandMarcus, Narsilia Stark, _and _Starbusters _(I'll be honest when I say I have no idea who she chooses...).

Thanks for the comments about Cass especially. OCs are hard to do, especially if you want them to actually have an impact on a story. I feel like the only way you can make an OC not completely a Mary Sue is to have them have absolutely 0 impact on anything. But what fun is that? None. That's how much. I'm rambling.

Disclaimer: Game of Thrones is not mine. I'll cry about it later.

* * *

Robert was eating, which never surprised Cass, though his slow and steady pace was new. Cersei was next to him, bundled up in furs and looking positively bored. Cass couldn't blame the queen really. She was bored too. When Cass came into Cersei's vision, the queen stood up and gestured to her children. "Thank the gods she's here. Come on, Joff, Myrcella, Tommen. Let's go."

"Bye niece and nephews." She waved to them and two of the three waved back. _Joff is such a prick. _"Brother, what do you want?"

"To know where you have been all this time, Cass. Not with Jaime Lannister?"

"No." She didn't really spend _that_ much time with Jaime. "I was talking with Robb Stark."

"Oh? Talking?" That was apparently much more suitable. Robert actually stopped chewing and swallowed. "What about?"

"The Red Keep." She didn't say anything about Winterfell, about how Robb could see her here, about how she could see herself here too somewhat. That was too scary. "Now as much as my rekindling friendship with Robb Stark holds interest with you, I must know the true reason for this...summon."

"We're having a party tonight." Robert swallowed the chicken he had been eating, "... and if you wish to woo this Robb Stark, you must look better than that. Stark's a picky lot. Though gods know my own sister is good enough for your offspring, Ned."

She stiffened, reddened, and turned to Ned Stark who was sitting next to the king, laughing his head off. "I wasn't sure I had to woo anyone." Cass thought she managed to maintain some dignity with that statement. Barely. "I was unaware I was in the business of wooing at all."

"A lady shouldn't be. Not of your stature anyway. Ah, come now, Cass, I am joking. Wouldn't you like a party?"

She shrugged. She had been to hundreds of parties. "Whatever the king, my brother, wishes."

"Loads of bullshit and you know it. I am throwing a party to celebrate Ned as my new hand. Damn time you accepted the thing."

Cass turned her attention to Eddard Stark again and smiled weakly. She liked Ned. It would be nice to have a man like that around the Red Keep. But she remembered Jon Arryn, and a part of her stomach twisted at the thought of seeing this man before her white and cold and dead. "I am happy you have accepted my brother's request. Gods know he needs a new hand as soon as possible. Robert cannot run Westeros himself or at all really."

Ned gave a small bow. "Thank you, Lady Cassana. I'm sure my children will love the Red Keep as much as I will."

She brightened. "You're bringing your family?"

"I discussed it with Catelyn, and we think Sansa, Arya, and Bran will enjoy King's Landing."

Cass couldn't get the grin off her face. Robert was always talking of how wonderful the Stark family was, and she had to agree. She liked the Starks. Every day with them was interesting, well more so than at home, and she truly enjoyed them, all of them. Even Jon Snow who was really only half true Stark but equally as pleasant. She would love to have the extra company—have Sansa to talk to and teach, and Arya too. Bran always wanted to be a knight as well—this was where he could achieve it. "My lord, I could not be happier with this news."

"Unless the other Stark boy was coming." Robert teased. "We know, Cassana."

"Little Rickon will show up one day, Robert." She flashed her brother a knowing, mocking smile. "I'll wear the gold dress. That should please you." She curtsied to Ned before leaving the room.

* * *

Sansa knocked on her door timidly, asking if she needed any escort downstairs. Cass wasn't sure exactly. Usually Renly walked her down. He never brought maidens to these things—which was weird to Cass since he was rather handsome, but she was also grateful for it. She had the strange thought maybe Jaime would bring her down- he had done it once or twice before-but in all truth, it didn't matter. She would most likely be crushed between Tyrion and Joff no matter what. She knew who she'd be talking to for the majority of the night.

Cass opened the door for Sansa, the handmaiden she had brought with her setting down her hairbrush to move behind Cass and straighten out the dark curls. "Oh? Do I? I was just planning on marching down the stairs but if someone wishes to..."

"No, no, my lady. I just meant if you would like a guide down. Arya refuses to leave the room while she's in such a dress, and I thought maybe you'd get lost."

Cass would have been insulted if she hadn't gotten lost in this castle several times this past week... or today. "Yes, yes. That sounds great. I'm ready whenever you are." Her handmaiden made a grunt, but Cass ignored her. She was fine. It would be hot and stuffy down there. No matter what sort of elaborate creation her handmaiden wanted to do would just get fussed up anyway. "Sansa?"

Her blue eyes widened and looked at the gold dress Cass was currently wearing. Cass didn't know why though. Her own green dress was beautiful—matching perfectly against her pale complexion and red hair. Sansa was a beauty. _Joff would be an idiot not to marry her. _"Yes, let's go."

They walked down the tower stairs and Sansa led Cass through twists and turns, angling through this castle as only a native could. Cass followed close to her back, nearly stepping on her as Sansa said, "You look beautiful, my lady."

Cass grinned, "You deserve the same compliment, Sansa. I am sure I am not the first to tell you that you will be a true beauty."

She blushed. "Do you think Prince Joffrey will like it?"

"He's a boy isn't he?" Cass laughed. "Do not think of that. You are betrothed I hear?" Sansa nodded. "Then he should be bothering both my brother and your father for a wedding tomorrow night when he sees you."

Sansa didn't reply, like a true lady, but she smiled and became a deeper red in the cheeks. They were soon to the doors to the hall, and the roar of laughter and drunken bellows sounded loudly through the thick wood. The long tables were full of people doing just that. Robert had obviously planned the thing; there was food and alcohol everywhere, and it was obvious Sansa was taken aback by the noise.

There was one seat left at the main table with the Starks and the king, just where Cass thought it would be: between Joff and Tyrion. Only the king, queen, Lord Stark, and Lady Catelyn were on the upper dais. She could see Sansa stiffen and looking to where she would sit, but Cass held out her hand. "You should get to know your future husband, my lady." She stepped back, and Sansa shot her a confused but then appreciative look before walking forward and taking a seat.

Cass regretted the action immediately. She did not know where to sit now, or who anyone else was. But as she scanned the room, she did recognize one table where she did see someone familiar.

The table was at the far end of the room—far away from where she would usually sit, but Cass didn't really care too much. Her dress was too fancy, her hair not nearly as fussed up as it should have been, but Cass moved to the empty seat on the bench and sat down, her golden sleeves falling to her side. The table became quiet and confused, but she just looked up, smiled, and said, "Hello." She turned to the only familiar face. "Jon Snow, I insist you teach me more about this Winterfell ale. It is much darker than what us southern folk are used to."

The boy next to her stiffened. He had obviously not been in the best of moods, and Cass' insistence took him by surprise. The men next to him elbowed his shoulder, and he shook his head before handing her his metal cup. "Lady Cassana..."

"Cass and thank you." She sniffed it, grimaced, and then drank from the cup. "Strong stuff. No wonder only men of the north can drink it regularly." That earned her some smiles around the table and reluctant acceptance.

One offered, "Would you like me to get you a light wine?"

"No." She took another sip. It was actually starting to grow on her. "Jon, do you mind if I keep this?"

He shook his head, still baffled, and stole another cup for himself.

The talking became easier after she finished her cup. They were playing a game with a coin and trying to flip it into drinks, which became increasingly difficult as the ale kept pouring and pouring. She roared with laughter as Jon had to drink again and half scowled when he flipped the coin into her cup as well. "Finish it so we can get it out!"

"It's so much." Cass stared at the cup, disheartened, and up to Jon. "Half and you can watch me try to take it out with my hands?"

There was a disappointed groan throughout the table, and Jon amply refused. "Lady Cassana, you're here to play, aren't you? This is not like the head table or the dais." His head pointed to the front, and Cass saw some sadness briefly play on his face. "Drink."

She sighed and raised the cup to her lips when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was gloved, harsh, and Cass turned with surprise to see it was Jaime Lannister standing over her. She immediately set the cup down. Jaime was turned to Jon Snow. "And who are you, bastard, to give orders to a lady?"

Whatever playfulness that was on Jon Snow's face faded at Jaime's words. He stood up, pushing his ale and meal aside, and left the table.

Cass stared blankly at his retreating form before turning sternly to Jaime. "What are you doing?"

"Cass, what are _you_ doing? Why are you even here?"

"Should I be locked in my room? Keeping safe like a small child?"

"No. You are not a child." Jaime scowled. "You should be up there with your brother and me."

Cass looked to the table that had become quiet once again. Yes, she still felt uneasy around these strangers, but Jaime lecturing her was making it even worse. Cass stumbled up from her seat on the bench. She walked towards a wall, stumbling a bit, and needing Jaime's arm to steady her until she could lean against it. He was not pleased. "You're drunk."

"Ah, your wondrous observation skills must have made you the prize of the Kingsguard." She touched his cheek with a finger, and then tapped his nose with every word. "That. Must. Have. Been. It."

Jaime turned his face away."Stop it, Cass."

"Am I not allowed to drink either? You said it yourself I am not a child." She pouted. "Come, Jaime. It was just a bit of fun. What are you so worked up about?"

He said nothing but stared at her for a while until finally admitting, "Your brother was looking for you. He wanted to make sure you dressed accordingly."

Cass snorted. "Robert is too drunk to notice now. Us Baratheons love the drink. Well all of us except Stannis, but I hear even he on occasion can get quite, quite..."

"Cassana please. Just come with me."

"No." She said evenly, causing Jaime to bristle."Excuse me, Ser Jamie." She curtsied. "I promise I will talk to my brother in a moment, but I just need to check on a boy you sent running outside."

She was half surprised he didn't stop her from running out, but Jaime must have realized she would not have been receptive to any more of his words.

* * *

Jon Snow was not outside the doors like Cass wanted him to be. He was not down the hall, and it only was her blurred wanderings that brought Cass outside and to where Jon Snow actually was—hacking away at some poor dummy once again. Cass coughed and Jon stopped, dropping the sword just as he did before. Cass followed it down, letting her gold dress fill out around her in the dirt. "You'll make an awful knight if you keep doing that."

Jon didn't turn but said, "I can't become a knight anyway."

"Oh." Cass felt cold. She wasn't wearing anything besides her dress, and Jon must have noticed her shiver for he sat down next to her and took off one of his fur cloaks, wrapping it on her shoulders. "Thank you." The warmth was immediate.

"You shouldn't have followed me out here."

"I wanted to apologize for what Jaime said to you." Her cheeks were red, burning. "He's drunk and stupid and does not know what he says sometimes. Gods know he won't apologize himself. But he means no harm by it."

"You'll freeze."

She lifted the cloak with her shoulders but didn't say anything to support or negate his statement. "I..." Cass didn't know what she was doing here, why she had followed him outside and was now sitting with him in the dirt. "I'm sorry."

"For what? For me being born a bastard?" He said it with such acceptance that Cass cringed even more. "Don't apologize. Jamie's right."

"Your worth isn't proven by your birth." She knew a hundred and fifty men that did not deserve the titles they had. "It's from your actions. Great men become great through what they do and not by their names."

Jon snickered. "That's pretty wise. Coming from a lady in this state."

She hit him in the arm. "I'm serious, Jon."

"And so am I. They are given the opportunities through their names and I am not. I am Eddard Stark's boy, the Lord of Winterfell's son, but Snow is still attached to me. Snow will follow me anywhere, and I will be nothing because of it." He sniffed. "That sounds depressing. I'm sorry. My life does have some option."

Cass looked up to him. "And what's that?" She wanted something for him besides this.

"The Night's Watch."

That would have been honorable once. To some, it still was. But the Night's Watch was a place for criminals and runaways—for orphans and...and bastards. Jon Snow would be stuck on that gods-forsaken wall. He would die there, die protecting people from wildlings and bears and gods know what else from his post. He would die never knowing a woman. Never having a child. "You do know what that means."

"It means an honorable place for me."

"No family...not even..."

"I will not have a bastard child to suffer through this." He looked at her, grey eyes sad and deep and asking her almost to dare to refute this idea. But Cass was not used to this. She had never been talked so in depth with someone in his position, and although she knew her brother had a fleet of Storms out there somewhere, she did not know any of them besides Edric. She had no idea what she would say to the rest of them, if she could hold them to the same regard as she could Joff and Myrcella and Tommen. But she could hold Jon that high. Yes, she could hold Jon to Rickon and Bran and Robb easily, without question.

"So it is your decision to make. I will not say what you should or should not do." Cass did not know what to say otherwise. She was not used to talking to people with Jon's predicament, and she wished it on no one, especially him. "But I will say this." She paused. "I like you, Jon Snow."

He looked at her suddenly, the grip on the sword he was twirling in his fingers failing as his eyes looked pallid and worried. "What?"

Cass laughed at his embarrassed face. "I just mean that if you were to go to the Wall, you must expect me to visit. You are my friend and I don't intend on losing you anytime soon, no matter how north you are."

"I'm your friend?"

It was sad to her to think that, yes, he was. She did not feel so connected to anyone at King's Landing as she had to the boys and girls here at Winterfell. She had only been here almost a week or two, but she laughed and felt more here than she had in the Red Keep on any day. These people were real, honorable, and she liked that. Her brother Robert had said this all along about Ned Stark, and perhaps this was just another Baratheon finding the value and surprise the wolves held. It was a nice change if anything. "Yes. Unless you feel otherwise?"

His pale face reddened. "No, but I suspect you will get much...attention if you were to visit, Lady Cassana."

"Cass." She fidgeted and rubbed his cloak closer to her shoulders. She hoped Jaime wasn't too mad with her. She'd need to train more before meeting the Night's Watch that was for sure. "Maybe I'm just too drunk to be making these promises to you."

He laughed beside her, almost falling back. Cass followed in his laughter, and he said. "Robb will be upset. His sisters and brother and me leaving all in the same week."

She did not like the fact that Jon was leaving so soon. She laid down in the dirt, uncaring that it was cold and her hair was getting dirty. "He will get over it I'm sure. Being Lord of Winterfell and all while your father is gone."

"Yes."

"He...could use a man like you by his side, Jon."

"He'll have Theon."

She sniffed. "Theon's a Greyjoy. But maybe you're right. Like I said, I cannot make this decision for you."

"You will visit me though?" Jon Snow sounded uncertain. "If I were to go to the Wall?"

She smiled. "Of course I will. I promise."

"Do not make promises you have no intention of keeping, Lady Baratheon."

She hesitated before turning, knowing it was the other male Lannister behind her now. "Tyrion, you know me better than to make promises without intention. Do not insult me so."

Jon leaned over to her. "The Lannisters follow you about like wolves."

"Like lions." Tyrion corrected. "But it is you Jon Snow that I am looking for. I have all the time in the world to talk to my dear sister here."

She smiled at that, at the fact that Tyrion wanted to talk to Jon and being called his sister. For some reason, she felt like her family had been slipping away. Robert was the same—she loved Robert—but she hadn't seen Stannis in a decade maybe and Renly was growing increasingly distant at the Red Keep, always hiding or sneaking about. "Then I will leave you two to talk." She stood. "About manly things and horses and wars if I know dear Tyrion right."

"Now you insult _me_ so. To think Jon and I have small enough minds to limit it to blood and animals." Tyrion grinned. "I have something much more important to speak of."

Cass kissed Tyrion on the head. "My apologies, _brother_. Please excuse me." She retreated back towards the door, hearing on her way out the coarse whisper of Tyrion slurring, "_drunk as a skunk that one_" before she was inside Winterfell's walls. Maybe he was right. Cass hated this feeling of uneasiness. What was once a high left her feeling sick and wobbly. She decided not to return to the hall and instead asked a servant to show her to her room so she could sleep. She did not see Robb Stark, nor did she think Robb saw her much to the king's chagrin she was sure, but Cass didn't much care. They would be gone soon. And one alliance between their houses would surely be enough to hold whatever small animosity at bay between the Starks and Baratheons.

That she was sure of.

* * *

A/N:

Gotta give Jon screen time before he poofs to Castle Black, I suppose. Plus his angst is fun (in a...writing sense).

Thanks for reading! And I'd just like to put it out there again that I'm extremely susceptible to people's comments or opinions about where they would like this story to go. I'm not saying...oh if you want her to be the queen on the iron throne and find dragon eggs or something I'm gonna do it (...yeah, probably not). BUT the end result of things are yet to be fully formed in my head.

Sigh, my indecisiveness. But thanks guys!


	4. Possessions

A/N:

Holy moley I had no idea it was almost 10. Where does the day go? But anyway,

Thanks everyone! I will be annoying and repeat this every chapter, but I LOVE getting reviews and readers and faves so I must express my gratitude. Thanks!  
And also special thanks to all my reviewers since my last post: _Guest_ (get ready for more Jaime time), _HermioneandMarcus, Narsilia Stark _(I want to! But he disappears so often. Tyrion's my fave.), _Guest _(aw thanks!), _Darksnider05 _(Oh I did not know that! Also I think my writing of mild Jon Snow angst is more subjective. Of course his actual angst just makes me sad. I also sort of agree with the multiple options thing. But I guess George needed some guy over there!), and _StarkStruck11_ (your penname makes me giggle with happiness).

Also thanks for all of those offering some advice! It's really helpful.

Disclaimer: Please don't sue.

Now to things you care about...

* * *

It wasn't much later that Bran fell.

Cass did not hear it, but the people who did said his yell was otherworldly, that he collided with the earth with a thump and a bang that sounded like he was falling on solid ground and water simultaneously. She was both surprised and relieved to hear he survived the fall. But she did not visit him. It was not her place to. Lady Catelyn stayed forever by his side, and she remembered the screams that evaded the door when Jon stepped through and soon out.

"He's still my brother."

She caught him in the godswood soon after, following the white fur of the wolf off the castle grounds to see Jon sitting beneath the crying trees. "I know."

"She...she never liked me much. And I don't blame her, not really. I must remind her of some prostitute her husband fucked and that's it."

Although she knew that was likely true, Cass didn't believe what Catelyn was doing to Jon was exactly right. He wasn't her son, but he was Ned's. He was a Stark despite his name, and he deserved more respect than a stranger. Cass changed the subject, rubbing her hands together in the cold. "How is he?"

"Bran is strong, but..." Jon scowled. "He wanted to be a knight, Cass. He wanted so much out of life, and if he doesn't wake..."

"I can't imagine he wouldn't. He did not survive that fall to lay in bed forever."

"I have to leave before he wakes up." Jon obviously did not want to, but he was returning to the Wall with his uncle, and Tyrion, surprisingly enough. "I hope he heard me say goodbye."

She hugged him. Cass didn't really know what she was doing, but she hugged him and wished he would stop feeling like this. It ate at her chest. Her heart bumped and pounded, repeating to herself that none of this really actually mattered to her. She had no connection to the Starks and especially Jon Snow, but she couldn't help but think that these people did not deserve this at all. Cass sighed. "You want to be alone?"

Jon looked at Ghost who had been sitting behind him, and the white direwolf walked away into the trees. Cass started to follow but stopped to say, "I'm sorry this happened to you all." _I'm sorry that you have to go to the Wall. And that my family is taking your father too. _She swallowed those thoughts. The heart tree seemed to be staring at her even as she moved.

* * *

Jaime was in a wretched mood. She wanted to train, but instead, she was dragged to Jaime's room and was sitting on his floor, watching him pack. Jon Snow had left already, and they were to leave for King's Landing soon too. _It will not be fast enough. _Cass's initial grim image of Winterfell was slowly becoming reality. Her black dress wasn't warm enough for the stone floor at all. She must have been pouting.

"You look like you're at a funeral."

Cass didn't respond, but just continued to watch Jaime Lannister fold so carefully, piece after piece, and pile it into his boxes. "Do you not have some servant to do this for you?"

"Packing cleanses the mind."

"You should fuck a girl." Cass didn't know where that came from. Maybe she was tired of Jaime always having that suggestion for her that she decided to throw it back at him. "I hear that cleanses the mind quite well."

"Now you sound like my brother."

"Or yourself. Perhaps it is a Lannister mindset. You think if I buy Joff a girl he'd be less of a prick?"

Jaime seemed to redden at that, in anger more than anything else. "Joffrey is not of age. And you should not call the prince and your nephew a prick."

"I suppose you're right." She knew she would not win that battle. "I'm sorry, Jaime. Something is obviously on your mind."

He didn't answer.

"Is it Bran Stark?"

Jaime stiffened and shook his head. He just kept piling clothes into his luggage.

"What then?"

"I'm just anxious to get home, Cass. I'm not training you today. You can go if you wish."

"You are the one that dragged me here." She remained on the floor though she knew he wanted her gone suddenly. "Must got some reason for that."

"Don't speak like a fucking peasant."

"I am not, Ser Jamie. And must I remind you that you may be a sibling to a queen but I am one to a _king_." She stood up. "Do not speak to me like I am some common _peasant_. You have no right."

He turned to look at her. "Lady Cassana..." Jaime paused.

"What?" She was angry now. Now she wanted to leave, but she stood and waited for him. "Well? Spit it out."

"Forgive me." She wouldn't have believed he said that if he had not said it with such authority. "I am acting...strange."

"I will forgive you for acting like this if you explain what you mean." She sat on his bed.

He didn't follow her but started to pace about the room, hands crossed and eyes narrowing in such a way that would have made most men look ugly. But that seemed impossible for him, and Jaime just circled about before stopping. "I do not like the Starks in the Red Keep."

"What has that to do with anything?"

"Nothing. I'm not sure. I do not have the mind for politics and games that don't involve embedding metal into someone's chest. But Ned Stark is a naïve pup and I don't want you taking him in."

This was not what she had been expecting. Maybe a lecture about Jon Snow or even, if he heard from Robert, Robb Stark, but not Ned. "I don't understand."

"Come on, Cassana." Now he sat by her, and Cass looked away. "We are going home. The Starks are coming. I see how you smile with them around you."

"They are nice people."

"And we all know how well _nice _works in the Red Keep. You were a nice little girl once too. And now you're...you're..."

She huffed, "I'm what?"

"Strong." Jaime finished. "Which isn't a bad thing at all. But Ned holds a different strength that does not suit well for the Iron Throne."

"He was not the one that sat on it when Aerys was killed." Cass said it jokingly, but Jaime grimaced and did not look at her. She bit her lip. She shouldn't have said that; she knew how much Jaime _hated_ to think about that man, about what he had done to stop him from burning people alive. "Jaime, I'm sorry."

He grunted. "For what?"

"The man was mad. For gods' sake he's called the _Mad _King. I don't mean to bring up those memories again. It wasn't a good time for you, I'm sure."

"It's fine." He turned at that, smile there, face lighter, and Cass thought that maybe it was actually fine. She wondered if anyone had ever said that to him before.

"And do not worry about Ned Stark, and certainly do not worry about _me_. He and I are no fools. I believe he will be a good Hand."

"That is why I am worried."

Cass groaned and threw a folded shirt into Jaime's chest. "This will change nothing, Jaime. And with all luck, I'll be married within the year and sent away from King's Landing."

His face paled. "Yes. I suppose."

"Who do you think the highest bidder will be?"

"I do not waste my time thinking of such trivial shit."

"Maybe the little Arryn. He's the Lord of the Vale now. Good match. Robert and his father were friends as you know."

Jaime would have choked had he been drinking or eating anything. "Gods you can't be serious. I'll kill him now if you are. How old is he? Five? Six? Never mind. You'll eat him alive yourself."

She ignored Jaime's suggestion. "Or the Martells maybe. Perhaps they'll even wait until after our wedding before they hang me."

That one earned her a laugh, which was exactly what she had been aiming for, but a part of her was also curious so she asked, "Who would you have me wed, Jaime?"

"I only know what my siblings would say to this matter." Jaime started to fold again. "Tyrion would say to find a good match—a man who would treat you with the respect you deserve but someone with enough power for your house. Cersei would probably have you move to Essos."

"Essos?" That took her by surprise. "Why?"

"Her proper advice would have you be queen. But of course not of Westeros."

"Perhaps I can rule the Wildlings." She grabbed a shirt and started folding, until she remembered what day it was and what she should have been doing. "Jaime, I have to go. If you need more help, look for me in my room, yes?"

"Yes, yes." He waved her off. "I'll pack in peace with you gone. Cass?"

"What is it?"

"Meet me on the grounds tonight."

She smiled at the door and he returned the expression. Whatever foul mood Jaime was in seemed to have passed.

* * *

Her handmaiden had already packed everything for her, and she went to Sansa and Arya's rooms to see if they had done the same. The two were distracted with Bran—not that Cass could blame them—but they were leaving tomorrow morning, and Cass asked the two girls before what they would want to bring with them.

But there were no handmaidens there. Only boxes of luggage and dust on the floor. Cass pulled the list from her skirt pocket and walked to see if anything was left in the room when she heard a knock on the open door. "Robb..." Her head turned down, and Cass found herself curtsying. She did not know why he brought out such...such...formality, but Cass went along with it. "I did not see you."

"Thought I may find you here." He eyed her curtsy with puzzlement. "I was with Bran...Arya mentioned that you were checking things for her. That is kind of you."

She shook off the compliment. "How is your brother?"

"Still sleeping." Robb bit his lip. "My father does not wish to leave with him resting."

"A part of me feels your father does not wish to leave at all."

Robb did not say anything about that. His blue eyes took in the empty room before him and he walked slowly inside. "Everything is changing. I did not think that would happen should the king come. And yet here you are and here this is. I feel stuck in this wind."

"Robert did not mean to steal your family in such a harsh time. It is just...difficult for him to rule alone. If you would have them stay, I can..."

He shook his head before she could finish. "It is time I learn how to run Winterfell, I think. I will miss them. But they will return in time."

She was grateful he refused her. She didn't exactly know what she could say to Robert at all. Cass nodded, still looking at the list and checking off the items. Everything seemed to be tucked away in the luggage. "You said that you were looking for me?"

"Yes. Uh, yes I did, didn't I?" Robb scratched his hair. "I just wanted to talk to you if we didn't get a chance to tomorrow morning before you set off. It was nice meeting you, Cassana Baratheon."

"We've already met before, do not forget." Cass smiled and nodded. "But yes. It was nice to meet you, Robb Stark."

"Bran falling..." Robb shook his head. "He never falls. He's climbed those towers thousands of times. It does not make sense. How luck and fate can change like that... it makes me think."

"About?" She moved the luggage cases so that they were square.

"Time, I guess." Robb swallowed, "And just that I would like to meet you again-maybe sooner than 15 years if it please you."

"It would please me." She continued to move the cases in various ways, not looking at Robb directly. Gods her face was red. Thoughts of marrying Robert Arryn of the Vale filled her head again. "Very much so."

"Good." He laughed a bit which made Cass turn to see him staring at his shoes. She did not know what he was doing here. He looked completely unlord-like, messy hair and dark, unadorned clothing, but she did not mind. "This...it's silly, but I thought we may forget each other once again when you return home."

It was then Cass noticed that he was twiddling something in his hand. It was silver—a ring—and Cass felt her heart stop. She was sweating. She had been told too many stories before about boys and their rings. Robert and Jaime had warned her too many times about this possibility. Her brother had always told her it would be some insignificant bannerman's son. And Jaime just implied that whoever he was, he was idiotic. Robb did not seem to be any of these things yet. "What's that?"

Robb jumped at the question and stared at the ring. "What? Oh? It's just a ring. I got it from Maester Luwin when I was just a boy. It...it doesn't fit me now." He handed it to her without anymore explanation, and Cass stared at it. It was very plain, silver, with no markings except a small outline of a wolf on one side. She looked up at him, stunned, and unsure that he knew she could never wear this in public. The wolf was too much a mark—too strange for a Baratheon to wear, especially an un-betrothed, female Baratheon. Cass looked up again at his face, and she saw he knew nothing of this. This was not a proposal or a mark of ownership, and Cass thought that maybe it was exactly what Robb said it was: an innocent memento.

"Thank you. I'll..." Her hand went to her neck. "I do not think it will fit even my finger except the smallest, and even then it may be too tight." She did not try it on. It may have fit just fine. "Do you mind if I put it on this chain?" It was a long chain—a gift from Stannis when she was thirteen-representing something ancient and old that she had long forgotten. The ring would be hidden underneath her bodice.

Robb shook his head, overeager. "Of course not." His hands went to her neck and he tried to snap the chain off the metal hooks. He did with some fumbling, and handed the metal links back to Cass. She slipped the ring on and had him re-hook the chains, letting the ring be exposed for now.

"It's lovely, Robb." She bit her lip. "Oh wait." The lady in her wanted to return the favor, but the Baratheon thought of what she would give that would go unnoticed by Robert and Jaime. "I...I..."

Robb kept laughing at her as she turned to the rings and bracelets she was wearing, examining each one carefully only to give up on it and move to the next.

Cass frowned. "I'm sorry...everything was my mother's and my brother would send me to Essos if I gave it away. But I'll..."

"I did not give you something in hopes of receiving something back, Cass."

"I know, but you should get something anyway. Just give me a minute to think of what."

He kept laughing at her, but Cass did not relent. She started running her hands through her hair and found one of her pins holding her braids. It was unadorned, really. A simple gold pin with a blue sapphire on the edge. She had many of them, and no one would notice it gone except the braid she took it from. "This also has been mine since I was little, though it still fits. I do not know what you can..."

Robb took it without question and slipped the pin through an empty hole in his belt. "We are even now?"

"Yes." She felt like a Lannister for some reason. She held out a hand and Robb took it. "It was nice meeting you."

* * *

She tried to turn out of it, knuckles digging into the stone and getting cut. Her muscles hurt. Her right arm was held behind her back, crooked and awkward, but she wouldn't yield. Cass tried pushing him off with her back. She tried twisting her hips around, the bone sliding across the abs and ridges of his chest, but he readjusted too quickly. He mounted her again. His strong legs pushed against her sides, squeezing her and holding her body hostage. He let go of her arm in the process, drawing instead a small dagger from his belt and holding it up to her throat. The metal felt cold and rigid against her skin.

Cass pushed his legs, but he didn't shift. "Jaime!"

He said nothing but moved the dagger to the chain across her neck. It was hard for Cass to see much in the moonlight, but she could see his green eyes "You shouldn't wear jewelry."

"Yes." She was sweating. Cass stared at his green eyes as the weapon fiddled with the chain around her neck, the chain she was too stupid to take off. "Though other times you say to make this as realistic as possible." She tried to move his hand away but missed as he moved his arm. Jaime was wearing a thin cotton undershirt only, and Cass moved her head away from his, suddenly uncomfortable. "I yield."

"It's incredibly like Stannis to give you something so mundane."

He was still on top of her, his legs not letting her hips move at all. "I yield, Jaime."

"What's this?"

_Hells. _ Cass grabbed his wrist and moved the dagger away from her face. "You are supposed to warn me if you plan on using a weapon."

"Realism, Cass. You were absolutely right about that. Will some sellsword give you warning right before he rapes you?" Jaime sniffed and let the dagger fall from his hand. "This ring is not from Stannis."

She kept her voice calm. "The Starks gave it to me. It's a memento."

He eyed her coolly, but his legs were still pushing against her. Jaime lowered his head down so that he was closer to Cass' face "You can't wear that in court."

"I'm not an idiot, Jaime."

"They'll think you're sold to them." Jaime became expressionless, and it was only a few awkward silences later that he shifted off of her, grabbed her dagger, and held out his hand. When he helped her off the floor, he asked, "Did you?"

The saliva was caught in her throat at the question. "What?"

"I know we've joked about this earlier, Cassana."

She nodded, "So it surprises me know why you seem so serious." He did. Jaime's usual smirk had faded, and in the dark she could see the shroud under his eyes, like he hadn't been getting sleep. "Joffrey is the only Baratheon betrothed to a Stark. But why are you so worried about this?"

He hesitated and created more space between them, leaving Cass cold in the wind and air of Winterfell. "It's just becoming more real. My nephew is engaged and you are not. It is only a matter of time."

"You're right." Cass moved up to him. " I'll be leaving King's Landing soon." The thought made her upset. She disliked the Red Keep sometimes—it got boring, and when it wasn't boring it seemed that everyone was stepping on glass, avoiding or telling secrets behind everyone's back. But it was her home. She would miss it whenever she left for good.

"If you knew how to use a sword, you could join the Kingsguard."

She laughed at his joke and handed him the white cloak Jaime had thrown on the ground before. "And stay in the Red Keep forever? Never to marry?" She realized her tone was mocking and Cass inhaled before asking something that had always been on her mind. Jaime had forfeited so much for this—to protect her brother, a man he did not even know. He lost his inheritance, lost his chance to have children, all for what? "Do you ever regret it?"

And even though Cass had thought of all those things and knew how hard the Kingsguard was, she was still surprised when Jaime looked at her and said, "Every day."

* * *

A/N:

Some brief notes. I used Robert Arryn instead of Robin because well...I guess I'm following the books more than the show? (though the show is pretty darn most times).

Also, Robb may seem awkward because I imagine he is awkward and dumb around girls because of..something. This has nothing to do with how he is as an actual lord. I need to stop speaking now before I ruin things.


	5. A Curious Wolf

A/N:

I wrote this whole author's note and then hit the back button. My life.

Let me try to duplicate it to the best of my ability: (maybe I'll do a less coherent summarized version..)

THANKS EVERYONE YOU'RE AWESOME I LOVE ALL THE FEEDBACK YAY.

Special thanks to all the reviewers since my last post:

_DTaylor201989_ (thanks!),_ Guest _(mhm! Robb's not so used to the women), _StarkStruck11_ (rather dramatic opener, huh? haha), _Teepartygirl_ (oh there's definitely tension. Perhaps of several kinds...), _Narsilia Stark _(You get your wish!), _Guest_ _(_it does make sense! and I sort of feel the same, that Jaime is only _knows _Cersei. I like to give a guy options. And Aw, Robb totally is a puppy. I stole his manhood a bit), _2L d'R _(well, it's suppose to be a love triangle type thing, but there are a lot of people for team Jaime!), _molly_ (he's an interesting character, and I'm glad you think I'm doing him justice), _Guest _(Keira Knightley, huh? I guess she has that...at a lack of a better word...spunk. And the crap will hit the fan soon. And hard.), _HermioneandMarcus _(hope this was soon enough :D), and _Water-Fire22 (_we'll see!).

Disclaimer: I own nothing. It's actually sort of sad.

* * *

The trip back to the Red Keep was more eventful than the trip to Winterfell. She did not think Sansa and Joffrey's relationship was headed in the best of directions when Joffrey was attacked by Arya's direwolf. It only worsened when Arya's wolf could not be found, and Sansa's was killed in its stead. An act Ned performed himself.

"Cersei was being ridiculous."

It was night again. She was on Jaime's back, legs hooked between his own and holding his neck in a choke. He didn't respond so Cass continued, "Sansa's wolf did nothing. Killing an innocent thing is hardly the way to show Joffrey how to be a good king."

Still no response. Cass worried that perhaps she had said something wrong until she felt his bare hand tap her shoulder. _Gods, I'm an idiot._

She jumped from his back after letting go of the hold. Jaime shook his head, blond hair sticking to his face with sweat. He rubbed his neck. "At least you're good at that one."

"Are you alright?"

He gave her a look, one eyebrow raised, and Cass brushed herself off and retied her boot. Jaime stretched his arms out and sat in the grass. "What were you saying? I was a little distracted by the air leaving my body."

Cass hesitated before saying it again. Jaime was always sensitive about his sister and his family in general, and although Cass didn't dislike Cersei, the Queen did not always make decisions she agreed with. Cass, however, did not feel like censoring herself today. "I said that your sister was being ridiculous."

"I disagree."

"I knew you would. You always disagree when it comes to Cersei." Cass huffed and sat by him, but Jaime recoiled a bit. She didn't let him move much though, and she shifted next to him again, tugging his undershirt lightly. "Can't you agree? Just a little bit that maybe, perhaps, Cersei was overreacting _just a little_ by killing Lady?"

"Lady?" Jaime tasted the word in his mouth and grimaced. "The beast is named _Lady_?"

"Jaime," Cass began seriously. "You always do this."

"And you always waste my time with stupid conversation. I thought we were here to train, not talk about worthless wolves."

The comment didn't bother her. "You always defend her. Why?"

"Because she's right," he said simply.

Cass wanted to laugh. "Yes? Killing innocent things is _right_? What a twisted world we live in."

"Yes. It is twisted, Cass. Why do you think we're out here doing this? Come, let us start again. Go on the floor and try to escape."

She stood up instead. "I still don't understand. If you agree that it is twisted, then why agree to it all? You accept that we kill innocent things, but yet you say it is the right thing? That we should?"

Jaime cracked his knuckles. "I think you are forgetting who you are speaking to."

"A Lannister and a Kingslayer," Cass said evenly. "I do not forget who you are. You killed Aerys on his throne to _save_ people, Jaime."

Jaime stared at her for a second but then laughed. It sounded hollow, forced. "I killed Aerys because my father was marching to the door. You have it wrong."

"Maybe." Cass fell down on the ground as Jaime went back on top of her, holding down her arms. "Or maybe you haven't..."

"Shut up."

Cass froze and looked to see his green eyes dart behind them. "What..."

Jaime rolled off to a standing position, leaving her in the dirt, and turned around. Cass thought maybe she had upset him, but it was only when she saw the shadow emerge from behind one of her brother's tents did she see. Lord Stark was wandering, his heavy two –handed sword in one hand with a cloth, in the dark. He had seen her, Cass knew, but Jaime still stood in front of her and casually said, "Isn't it a little late to be cleaning?"

"Aye." Ned walked a little forward. "Lady Cassana, do you need help?"

Jaime noticeably cringed. It wasn't that dark and Ned wasn't that far away, but he had been obviously hoping the older man would not notice Cassana on the ground. _Playing dumb will just make this look worse than it actually is. _ "Hello, Lord Stark." She brushed off the dust. "This must look...questionable."

"It would, yes, if your brother hadn't already told me."

She exhaled at that, relaxing her shoulders, but Jaime still seemed curious. "Why would Robert tell you that I was training her?"

Though Cass had some guess as to why, and Eddard confirmed it. "I think he just wanted to maintain my opinion of you, Lady Cassana, if something like this were to happen. I'm sorry I interrupted you. I heard a noise while I was cleaning Ice, but I'll let you go back to training."

Ned turned back towards the tents, and once he was out of eyesight, Jaime grabbed Cass' hand and pulled her further away from the tents. "He's very curious."

"We should be grateful my brother actually had some foresight to tell him." Cass feigned a laugh. "What were the odds of that? I wonder what Ned could have possibly meant. Maintaining his opinion on me...why bother?"

Jaime took off his boots. "Take off your chain, Cass. Fuck, realism. It always gets in my way."

She did what she was told, reluctantly, and set Stannis' chain and Robb's ring in Jaime's boot. She knew what she and Jaime did looked (and sometimes felt) inappropriate, but Cass had the clear thought that even if Robert hadn't told Ned Stark, he would have believed that what they were doing was innocent.

Cass would not understand that man. He was truly of the old gods—birthed of a type of cold and stone that was not common among the men she more commonly knew. She had thought she knew what honor meant before she met Eddard Stark. Cass was beginning to think she had no idea what its true meaning held.

It only grew in her confusion when they arrived in King's Landing and Ned was put to his true tasks. Cass was not a member of the small council, nor did she want to be, but she could hear from Renly and Robert's talks that he was not like Varys or Littlefinger. And so she thought she was right that he would be a good Hand, but it scared her to think that it did not make Jaime wrong at all.

Her tasks returned to complete normalcy with the only change being Sansa and Arya beside her. She sat in with them on their Septa's lessons—some more than others for the Septa's still did not like her much. It was not that she was a bad student; she just did not like the restrictions they placed on her lessons. Even now, hearing the Septa talk about the Targaryens made her cringe inside. Yes, Aerys was crazy and yes they had sick...breeding habits, but people were people. Some of the kings were fine she was sure. And as much as she tried to deny it, Robert did steal their birthright. The Lannisters did jump in at the last second to help sack Kings Landing and that's that. There was no white light and black shadow. There was no crown of glory and gold. It was just grey and blood and iron—a seat of swords in a dark hall of skeletons.

Cass zoned out the ramblings until she heard Arya say a name. "They say I look like Lady Lyanna did."

It sounded familiar to her. Cass would say the same about her own mother, and she looked at Arya—at the woman, maybe, her brother was supposed to marry instead of Cersei. She wondered what a Stark woman would have done in this castle—if it would be less invaded by lions and have more wolves instead. She smiled as she looked at the two girls. _There are wolves here now_.

Catelyn had apparently been here too, in King's Landing, but she had not seen her. She was with Petyr Baelish—Robert had her check over the accounts every so often, for running the finances of the household was something good for all people to learn (except himself, of course)—when she found out. Cass was startled that they had spent so much coin on grapes alone this quarter when she noticed the smile on his face. "You're usually not this happy." She flipped through the ledger. Petyr was good at cooking numbers, and she did not point it out. They did not need to owe Casterly Rock anymore than they already did.

Littlefinger said nothing. "Do you think King Robert will need a new saddle in the next month? His last one took so long to make that it was too small by the time he got it."

"Perhaps we should start it now, Lord Baelish, and please, what brings about this grin? We are friends, yes?" Cass actually did not think that much of him at all. But she and Littlefinger were on decent terms. He was smart, that was for sure, but Cass would not trust him as far as she could throw him. Which was why she was even more curious. "You can tell me."

He paused, looking at her and then deciding that she meant no harm behind the words. Cass knew that Petyr Baelish thought she was about as politically minded as Renly and as dull as Stannis, and Cass did not wish to change that opinion at all. Littlefinger had no reason to view her as a threat, as anymore than a girl waiting to be shipped off for marriage. It was another reason why she didn't point out the obvious errors on the ledger in front of her. Lord Baelish smiled. "You remember that I was raised in the Riverlands?"

She didn't until he had said it, but Cass nodded. "Yes. Tully land then?"

"Lady Stark was here the other day visiting her husband. Apparently she had news concerning one of their sons."

Her face paled. "It's Bran. Brandon Stark." She corrected herself, finding that much of her speech concerning the Starks was much too casual.

"The boy was attacked."

She must have been ghostly white at his words. Why attack a boy in his bed? An _unconscious_ boy in his bed? Robb's voice was suddenly in her head. Bran Stark never fell. And then he falls while the king is in Winterfell. He falls and survives and someone else tried to kill him already. Cass swallowed the thoughts. They would do her no good right now. Not here, next to Petyr Baelish who looked completely not upset over this matter at all. She called it out of him, curious. "And that is what yields a smile from you, Lord Baelish? You are too cruel a man."

"I was able to talk to Catelyn. We were childhood friends. The Tullys always remind me of simpler days when I was a boy."

"Before you spent all day counting our debts to the Lannisters." Cass did not push the issue any further with Littlefinger nor did she ask whether Bran was alright or not. Her connections to the wolves needed to be minimal, she knew that. She looked down to see if the ring was still hidden behind her bodice before she checked over Lord Baelish's work again and dismissed herself.

* * *

The Tower of the Hand was cold and dark and so much like Winterfell that Cass thought that maybe Ned would fit there nicely. But what she saw on the man's face was grief and stress, burdening his eyes and making him look ages older instead of months. She had the thought to excuse herself and leave him be with the paperwork on his desk, but his grey eyes seemed to lighten a bit, and Cass smiled. She had not talked to Ned Stark in too long, she realized. "Lord Stark, it is good to see you. I'm afraid our paths have not crossed too much." It seemed her paths had crossed no ones. Arya and Sansa's lessons were boring, and Jaime hadn't been training her nearly as often as he used to. She was wasting away here, some days. Perhaps she would finally pick up the patience to crochet. "How is your son? I still worry for him."

Ned exhaled and gestured for her to sit down across from him. Cass followed his suggestion before he began. "You heard my wife was here?"

"Yes. Though if it is a secret, I will not tell anyone, Lord Stark. You have my word."

"It seems I hold fewer and fewer people's words these days."

Cass blinked, "My Lord? Something else troubles you." She wasn't sure, but Cass thought it was beyond anything with Bran.

Ned did not reveal as much. "Please, call me Ned. It seems strange for a Baratheon to do anything but." He paused. "My son is still alive, and for that I am happy. Catelyn had some unpleasant news that only puzzles me further, but I do not wish to burden you with such."

"Burdens are subjective. I do not carry anything I do not deem necessary." She crossed her legs on the chair. "Tell me."

He was hesitant, that much was obvious. Ned slid a hand through his hair and looked down. He reminded her of Jon Snow at that point, and Cass wondered if Ned knew how that son was. She did not ask. "What do you remember about Jon Arryn in his last days as Hand?"

It was an odd question for she had not thought of Jon Arryn much in the last months, and Cass replied honestly. "I did not see him much, Lord...Ned. I think...even less those few weeks before. I do not really remember. He always seemed so occupied with his tasks."

Ned nodded but said nothing.

Cass knew he wanted more, of what, she wasn't sure. She tried thinking back to Jon Arryn, her last conversations with him and found herself laughing. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"No, he just...he asked me a lot about my family...if I remembered anything from Storm's End. Paintings, records, that sort of thing."

Ned swallowed, "Do you know why?"

She didn't really. It took her off guard. At one instant, he was complimenting her on her hair color with a certain dress and that suddenly turned into a conversation about her parents. "I do not. I do not remember much of my family outside my brothers. Even Stannis seems distant now." She frowned at that. "I remember telling him that all Baratheons have a temper. It goes with our words. But the temper has different triggers."

Ned's interest seemed to grow. "What did he say to that, Lady Cassana?"  
"Nothing. He did not seem interested. I think...he cared more about my hair color and eyes than anything else. He asked me what I thought about them. I said they were dark and were my mothers."

"He could see that though, couldn't he?"

"Yes." She laughed more at the memory. Perhaps he really was aging faster than she seemed to have noticed before. "Bizarre. But it makes me happy to hear that your son is...alive, my lord."

She began to stand and curtsy, but then Cass felt a lump in her chest, the coldness of Robb's ring seeming to burn on her skin as she saw his father with bags and wrinkles under his eyes. Jaime's advice was there, circling. Ned Stark was no lost puppy. His emblem was the direwolf. He was strong, and if something was making him feel like this, Cass wanted to help. "I talked to Lord Baelish."

"Tell me we have enough coin, Lady Cassana."

"We owe the same six million dragons, but it is not our finances I wish to speak of." She sat back down. "It was he who told me of Lady Catelyn. He said your son was attacked, Ned. But it confuses me why someone would attack a boy in that state, a boy who holds no land or title yet."

Ned leaned back in the chair. A burden had fallen from his shoulders, and he seemed happy to be talking about this with someone, even if it were just her. "I admit the same thing has been puzzling me."  
"It isn't puzzling, really." Cass bit her lip. "Excuse my frankness, but someone does not want Bran to wake from his sleep. And then I remember Bran climbing the tower walls, and what your oldest son had told me. He said that Bran has climbed those walls thousands of times before. Why had he fallen when we were there? It is...coincidental."

"The same things have crossed my mind, Cassana. But why? Why would someone want to do this to my son?"

"He knows something." _But what? _ She found herself looking at her hair. It was so dark, like ink. That was how Jon Arryn had described it. It was pure ink. And even mixed with water, it would remain just as dark. He said that no yellow light should be able to shine through such a color. "I'm sorry. I'm just bringing up things I cannot answer."

"It is relieving to know I have someone to talk to, Lady Cassana. Your brother is becoming increasingly distant."

"And I'm sorry for that too. I think, Ned, it may pay for you to take leave in Winterfell soon. See your wife and sons." She knew he would not take her suggestion, but Cass made it all the same.


	6. Killers and Bards

A/N:

So sorry for the delay! I was away all last week and needed to play catch-up at school. But better late than never? Right? I'm sure George uses that excuse all the time.

Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers from my last post! :

_Darksnider05 _(things will change, I promise. I'm of the mindset that there's only some things one person can do in such a messy cast of people), _StarkStruck11_ (There are more interesting things to talk about than caravans, haha. Thanks!), _Guest _(Thanks so much! I'm so glad you're interested in her as a Baratheon too. That's sort of what's interesting me as well :D), _MorraHadon _(Wow, thanks so much for your review! I'm happy you think I'm doing a good job with Cassana and the actual GoT crew! Thanks! also, I am actually still torn though people tend to be sided towards Jaime. Maybe it's because of later chapters...), and _StephyCoCo89_(Thanks! I'm glad you don't think she's a Mary Sue!).

Disclaimer: I do not own _Game of Thrones_ or really even the name Cassana.

* * *

There was an abundance of events held at the Red Keep and she thought maybe this was what Robb meant when he said that this place must have been more interesting than the North. Usually Cass avoided half of them if she could—being either 'sick' or too busy doing other things to socialize with nobles and lords and such. Cersei had warned her that she'd become an outcast, a hermit, but the public still did not seem too surprised when she showed up. They actually seemed to like her just fine. She and Renly, to her constant shock, were considered well liked and attractive. They were siblings to a king that freed the people from a tyrant, and that had won them so unflinching love.

This time it was a tournament held in Ned's honor. It had been a while since Ned became Robert's Hand, but she supposed celebrating it now was better than never.

It was more the necessity than the want that she appear for the actual event since she had skipped too many previous engagements. The Mountain was setting up to joust, and she was seated by Renly in one of the main booths by the Starks. Renly was on the edge of his seat, strangely nervous. He did not much care for fighting or jousting or any of this, but his eyes were trained on this match in particular.

"Brother, you may want to calm down." She placed a hand on his arm, and Renly shot back. _He is_ _so_ _strange sometimes_.

She watched the Mountain's opponent get ready-this Knight of the Flowers, Loras Tyrell from Highgarden. She had seen Ser Loras before—a good tourney knight, though she thought not much of him besides that he was pretty. He was Renly's squire in the past so maybe that called for her brother's behavior. Or maybe not. Not completely.

Ser Loras finished mounting his horse and made a lap across the booths, holding a red rose to give to a maiden.

Cass stiffened as the rose was past to her. Ser Loras never lifted his helmet, and she took it, understanding something with the look he gave to the man next to her. She felt uncomfortable, fidgety, and she no longer wanted to watch this match. Her foggy mind was clearing, and she could not sit next to her brother much longer, afraid what she might say. Instead, she slid the rose onto his leg. "I think this was meant for you."

"Cass—what..."

"I do not ask. You do not say. Easy, Renly. I am your sister. I know what is expected of you, what Robert would think, but if you..." Cass blushed. This was not what she had expected. There were too many people about. But the interaction was undeniable. She may have been sheltered in the Red Keep, but that did not make her naïve. Renly never took a maiden to his room, but he had taken Ser Loras on several occasions before. She did not know why she failed to question that until now. "I'm allergic to roses anyway. Ser Loras was silly to forget that." She turned on her heel, not wanting to embarrass him further.

There were still more competitions, and Cassana excused her handmaidens to watch whatever events were going on while she wandered the grounds. No one thought to bother her, and Cass knew there were Baratheon bannermen and guards scattered throughout. Her eyes looked at the array of tents until she saw the red and gold sigil of the Lannisters.

"Ser Jaime?"

He was getting ready for some event. Squires and servants were running about inside, polishing his armor and sorting through his things as Jaime was stretching in a corner. "Whoever they are, tell them to get the fuck out. I need to prepare."

A squire approached her and tried to shove her out, but she dismissed him and walked up to Jaime. "I just wanted to wish you luck but if you wish..."

"Cass." Jaime stood up from his stretches and grabbed her shoulders. "Where are your guards?"

"What guards?" She raised an eyebrow, "Is everything alright? No one's planning a Baratheon coup, are they?" She half-laughed.

Jaime smirked, but didn't answer her directly. "Are you going to watch me, Lady Cassana?" He seemed to realize himself and stepped back from her, gesturing for a servant to start handing him his armor.

"What's the point? You'll win anyway."

"It's always nice to have family support."

"Your sister will be there." She paused. "And my brother too if you are counting us Baratheons as family now. That's a first. What poor fool are you going against?"

Jaime's smirk only grew. "Some green boy by the God's Eye, I think. His name is not worth noting."

"Now, be nice."

He made no promise of that. "Did you come for something else, Cass?"

Did she? She didn't know. It was not like her, really, to visit Jaime before an event. Especially because luck was completely unneeded in his situation most times. "We haven't had our meetings in a while." She could count the number of times they had trained on one hand since they left Winterfell.

"I've been busy."

"I've figured."

"Do you need to anymore?" Jaime held out his arms, letting his squire armor him. "Train? I mean, if you are to marry soon as expected, then your husband's bannermen will watch your step and all this training will be worthless."

Cass's voice lowered. "I do not think so."

"Well, I do."

"Perhaps my husband will not have bannermen at all. Perhaps he will be one."

He clicked his tongue. "I don't talk to you to hear bullshit, Cassana."

"Fine then." She felt hurt for whatever reason. They weren't exactly fighting—not at all—but she was hurt all the same, as if they just had a heated argument. When she exited the tent, there was a rush of people surrounding one of the arenas. Lady Cassana ran over and she could feel a man behind her too, looking at the scene.

"What has happened?" She swallowed the bile back down her throat, the sight of the decapitated horse head spurring food chunks.

"These things happen." Jaime's voice sounded behind her, and Cass turned.

"He would have killed Ser Loras." Cass turned to Jaime. "Your father's beast would have cut him down."

"Shame." Jaime's eyes went to the Mountain's. "Knights are not wooers and bards, my lady." He fixed his glove. "We are all killers and murderers. You'd do well to remember that."

Cass knew he was referring to himself, about the lives Jaime had claimed. She had only really known about the Mad King, but Cass wondered who else Jaime was thinking of at that moment.

* * *

It was later in the tourney when there was another death—Ser Hugh, Jon Arryn's old squire. She did not seek out Jaime for his opinion on the matter. Something told Cass she would not have approved of it. Instead though, another figure approached her on the grounds. "Lord Stark." The lady manners took over and she lowered her head to the Hand.

"May I speak with you, Lady Cassana?"

"Yes, of course."

"In your chambers?"

She blinked, "I'm sorry?"

"On my honor, I swear I just wish to talk to you." Ned seemed to understand his words at that moment. "I...I do not feel my chambers would be appropriate for this conversation."

"Of course." She had no desire to watch the rest of the tourney now anyway. "Your honor I hold above all others, Lord Stark. Please follow me."

They walked to the Red Keep and up to Cassana's chambers. The halls were luckily empty, so no one saw her lead a man alone to her room. Her chambers were covered with tapestries and a small area for her to read and her handmaiden to sit. This was where she offered a seat to Ned before sitting herself. "I'm assuming this is of a sensitive matter."

"Yes. I am finding my allies here are thinning, Lady Cassana. I am unaccustomed to the games of this keep."

"I should have warned you." She felt bad. She knew Ned was a grown man—a smart man—but this was not his forte. How he acted with the small council, with _Cersei_, she wondered how he was not more a mess. "The people here are after their own goals and ambitions. I may have been the same, to be honest, if I did not know my ambitions were predetermined for me by Robert." She tried to lighten the situation, but Ned was too on edge. There would be no more jokes from her.

"My wife insists I trust in Littlefinger. He was a childhood friend."

"That you know nothing of now." She did not like Lord Baelish's ambition. Or the smile he had around Lord Stark. Or his past relationship with Catelyn Tully. "There is much we do not know about him which worries me. I would not put all your trust in him."

"Who would you then?"  
"Yourself." She said blatantly. "Yourself and your bannermen and your daughters, Lord Stark. Your wife, I'm sure, means well. But Petyr Baelish is not the small boy he was in Riverrun. He did not get here through his treasury skills alone." Cass poured herself a glass of water and handed one to Ned. "There is something deeper on your mind." She saw it easily now. "There are no listeners in my walls. I pray." She had gassed them out with lies once five years ago when she was thirteen. Whatever spiders hidden in her walls made fools of themselves in court and hopefully never sprung back. "You can trust me with this secret."

"I can?"

He seemed doubtful, which was good, what Cass wanted, but she pulled the chain out from her bodice, revealing Robb's ring. "Your son does, Lord Stark. I do not...mean to use this as a tool, but as good faith. I..." She hesitated. "I see the good in your family, the values that the Red Keep have been missing or have exploited. It is...a bond missing from my own, and I do not wish for you to meet a similar fate as Jon Arryn or countless others."

"You are suspicious then? Of Jon Arryn's death?"

She was at first. It was random and fast, and Maester Pycelle did not seem that affected by his failure to revive him. "He was...asking a lot of questions and then died. That is never a good sign."

Ned asked, "May I?" and touched the chain on Cass's neck when she nodded. He smiled sadly at the dire wolf engraving and set the ring down. "I received a letter from Lysa Arryn before I left Winterfell."

Cass let the words sink in. "Jon Arryn's wife."

"Yes. She has locked herself in the Vale for she fears for her life and her son's as well. She...she implicated that Jon Arryn was killed."

It didn't surprise her nearly as much as it should have. "By who?"

"The Lannisters."

Her mind faltered because she knew what that meant. Cersei was powerful. Jaime was her friend. And Tyrion...no, she could not believe Tyrion would create such a scheme on such a good man. A bad man, yes, but not Jon Arryn. "That...that is a large implication."

"I did not understand why at first, but I'm beginning to. The Lannisters..."

"Want power, yes, but they have it with Cersei." She shook her head, "Where else can their ambition expand?"

"I do not believe this is about ambition. Not completely, Lady Cassana. You and I both know your brother has not always been loyal to his wife."

She nodded. That was well known.

"Jon Arryn was tracking his bastards."

_Why? _ Cass scowled and sipped more water. This was too much intrigue for her, far too much for Ned. He was treading somewhere dangerous, and the questions floating through Cass' head fell back. _Lord Arryn was asking about my family. We...we all..._ "He said we all have black hair. My eyes...they aren't completely Baratheon, but they're my mother's he said. I looked like my mother."

Ned narrowed his eyes, "I'm sorry?"

"Jon Arryn." Cass stood. "He said...the Baratheons always have black hair, pretty black hair. I was wearing an ivory dress...he said the contrast was stunning, something only a Baratheon could pull off truly with our dark features. The eyes are rare...but plausible, he said. Other colors besides blue were not." _Joffrey does not have black hair. Joffrey has green eyes. _ She had not seen it. There was so much of Cersei in him—gods, she remembered Cersei giving birth to him—but men were not the only beings on this earth that were unfaithful, were they? All of them—all of Robert's legitimate children—were blonde. "The Seven...Oh gods. You..." She fell back down, Ned catching her arms and placing her back in the chair. "What you are...what you are implying..."

"Could get me killed."

"It _will_, Ned." She dropped formalities. "What do you plan to do with this information?"

"I need to establish it first. There are some Storms in this city. I can..."

"And then what? Tell Robert? He will _kill her_. He will. He might even kill the children which I will not allow. You know Robert and his temper. And then Tywin Lannister will be at our back!" She spoke at a harsh whisper. "You cannot tell Robert." Her head was spinning. She...she had to hide this. "You can't, Ned."

"Should I then let it rest?" He was arguing with her, softly, un-harshly, but still he did not agree. "I cannot do that, Lady Cassana. Joffrey is not the true heir."

"But this will be war." She weighed the options quickly. "I pick an untrue king over war any day."

"You are a child of the summer. You do not understand."

"No, I do not." Cass felt sick. She was unused to war, but she liked it that way. "This will destroy him." She paused, thoughts still running. "Who do you think the father is? Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen's?"

Ned shook his head. "I do not know. But I will not keep this a secret, Lady Cassana. Not for long." Ned Stark bowed and left her room. Cass crumpled to the floor.

* * *

She didn't show up for dinner that night. Nor did she attend breakfast the following day or court the rest of the week, and she was going to skip another breakfast too if Jaime hadn't knocked on her door, thrown her a roll, and wiped the mud off his boots and onto the floor. Cass caught the roll and took a bite. "Thank you."

"I suppose you had every intention of starving yourself for some reason or another. Is this your revenge for our stopped training?"  
It wasn't. She just couldn't bear to see her nephews or niece. Cass had been eating, by herself of course and minimally for fear that if she went down to eat with her family, she would stare at them and look for the Baratheon—any sign of the stag in them. And Cass had an overwhelming feeling that she would be left disappointed. "I haven't felt well."

"Poor girl. We only have a Grand Maester at your every beck and call. Do you want me to call Pycelle for you?" The last line, though holding a bit of sarcasm, was sincere. She stared him down to see, watching his green eyes never twinkle or shine in that way that said Jaime was lying to her.

She shook her head and continued to eat the bread. She felt uncomfortable around him. He was a Lannister after all. And Ned Stark did not trust them. _And you trust Ned Stark over Jaime? _ They both had reputations, but Stark's was of honor and loyalty. She had no reason not to trust Ned Stark. But she had known Jaime longer, trained and talked and laughed with Jaime Lannister. _Perhaps he is not involved with Jon Arryn. _ The old Hand did not wake up with a sword in his back after all. If anything, Cass thought, Jon Arryn was poisoned. And poison was a woman's weapon. _I'll have to choke someone then if I am ever to kill someone. _ She hated the thought.

Jaime didn't leave like she expected him to soon after. He sat in a chair and watched as Cass ate her roll. She was starving. Her embarrassment over seeing her brother with his wife made her forget for a while, but the smell of the breaking bread—freshly baked and cracking—filled her nostrils and the air around her. "No one is worried, are they?"

"You have not been missing too long. Not any longer than when you simply decide to avoid court for whatever reason. It's been dull. " Jaime was still on her chair. "You were talking to Ned Stark the other day."

She froze on the chair but continued to eat her piece of bread. Jaime wasn't asking her a question. "Yes."

"What about?"  
Cass flinched but did not let the question affect her speech. "Is that really your concern, Ser Jaime? You are Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and yet you trouble yourself with insignificant trivialities such as who holds my company."

"I certainly hope Ned Stark does not _hold_ your company." Jaime sniffed. "Nor do I find the matter trivial, Cass. Do not speak to me like a stranger."

"I only say it is trivial for you said it yourself." She hesitated, gathering time by taking a huge bite of the bread and chewing it slowly before swallowing, She readjusted her green skirt—she always hated green—and said, "Ned Stark made a proposal to me. Just as a thought. He had not discussed it with Robert yet, but we had been talking about it since Winterfell."

Jaime cracked his knuckles, eyes suddenly down on the floor and not on her. "And what type of proposal?"

"Marriage of course. There are none others made that involves a woman's decision." She said mockingly. "To his eldest son, Robb Stark. It would be a good match."

He was staring at the chain around her neck, "If you would want to associate with those damned wolves it'd be." Jaime practically growled from his chair.

"Jaime, the Starks are one of the great houses..."  
"And what do they rule over? Snow and shit and wildling invasions. Do not talk to me about the nature of Starks again, Cass. I rather you marry the Martells as your previous promise suggested. At least then I could bear to look at you still."

The magnitude of his anger took her off guard. Jaime had shown nothing but apathy for the Starks while they were in Winterfell, and even here in King's Landing, he and Ned, although not the best of friends, at least appeared civil to each other in her company. "I think you are over reacting, Jaime. Ned Stark has done nothing here that warrants your vehemence."

"Perhaps Ned Stark has not but his wife is quite a different story. No matter. Let us not discuss this in any fashion longer." He stopped talking completely.

"No Jaime. I want to discuss it. Tell me."  
This could have been a key. She could figure out why Ned Stark would implicate the Lannisters like that if he had some sort of vendetta or bad history of anything. Cass, in some odd way, wanted to discredit the Hand. But nothing in his past actions or voice led her to anything like that. "That bitch has accused my brother of trying to murder their son."

_What? _That was not what she had been expecting.

"...how?"

"The dagger they found on the assassin was apparently Tyrion's. Impossible. Everyone knows that Tyrion does not have the stomach for something like murdering a child."

"Nor would he be daft enough to give the man he hired a weapon from his own collection." Cass shook her head. "No, this must be a mistake. I will talk to Ned."

"Do not bother. I have talked to him already."

Her blood ran cold. "Jaime, what did you do?"  
"Simply reminded Ned Stark where he is and what he should not get his nose into."  
"You're mad." She stood up. "Is he alright? Do not tell me that you have..."

"He's alive. That's all you need to know. Oh, and maybe that he resigned from being the Hand two days ago."

_What? _ She should not have hidden in her room. She should have been out there, watching him and not hiding from her brother's shame. _Why didn't Ned come to me to talk about this?_ No, it was not his fault. She didn't want to hear it. She acted like she didn't want to be involved. "Robert will never let that happen." Though she wished he would. Maybe he would be best outside of this godforsaken keep. "Is he still here?"

"Yes, Cass, but..."

"I need to speak with him. I need to find out how he is."

"Gods, Cass! Have you been listening to me?"  
Jaime never yelled at her, not with sincerity. Sweat was etched in his face, and she was frightened of him. She saw the face, the scream, the fury that the men saw when he was in battle. The sword crashing towards their heads as blood and pus dripped out of their friends' skulls. The Kingslayer was here, and Cass inched away. "Jaime, I'm..."

"Damn it." He stood up from the chair and walked from her. "Damn it, Cass. Why are you being like this? Why are you siding with the _wolf_? Don't tell me Robb Stark has already dragged you to his bed and fucked you."

She slapped him, uncaring that this was the Kingslayer and he could easily overpower her, which he did. Jaime grabbed her wrist and dragged her closer, turning her around so that he held her back. Cass could escape. She had been trained to, but she didn't struggle for Jaime's force was half what he used to train her with. He didn't mean harm. He just...he just held her for awhile before letting go, stared at her, and stepped closer, warm breath hitting her face and making her close her eyes in confusion. She hated him right now, for even suggesting that she would do such a thing and ruin herself so easily. But his words seemed to anger him more than it did her, and the red from his face was fading.

"Jaime, please calm down." She removed her hand and touched his cheek. He leaned into it, and Cass bit her lip before backing away. "You're going to get Tyrion back, aren't you?"

"He's my brother, Cass. I have to go back for him. You understand."

She didn't. She was not sure she would do the same for all of her brothers, which was unfortunate. "Let me come with you."

"What?" He smiled and gripped both her hands again, this time with a different, lighter pressure. "Don't joke with me."

"I am not. Let me talk with Catelyn and vouch for your brother."  
"You have already hidden from the Red Keep for too long. And your brother does not like me."

She could not deny that. "Do not start a war."

He was stroking her hand. She didn't...she didn't know what to think of it. "If a war comes from this, it would not be me who started it."

"Catelyn will release Tyrion." She felt bad for Tyrion, but at the same time... "Jaime, why would someone try to kill Bran Stark? He is just a boy."

"Maybe for the same reason Robert wanted an assassin on that Targaryen girl." He inched away from her at that. "I'm leaving soon, Cass."

She kissed him on the cheek. It was strange, that action. She had never done it before, but right then, it seemed appropriate, called for in her head. Cass had no idea whether she should be worried or not. "And you'll be back soon too."

* * *

A/N:

Crap is going to hit the fan. Gross.

Also, struggled with the editing process about the tournament, so sorry if I got any details wrong. I don't remember Jaime competing...but why wouldn't he? I didn't remember or could find things, so this what happened.

Thanks for reading!


	7. Mortal Knights

A/N:  
Yay! 7! I have no notes except you guys are awesome. Thanks for reading!

Special thanks to reviewers since last chapter:

_FollowTheSun22 _(Thanks!), _kairi-senpai _(Yeah, I shouldn't worry so much about the canon since this is going to vary harshly in a few chapters. thanks for the reassurance!), _StarkStruck11 (_Just wait for how she deals with them in this...), _MorraHadon _(Oh cookies. I do like cookies. And spot on with Jaime. At least...that's what I intended. And I love Ned. That's all I'm saying), _mythwriter_ (thanks!), _Guest _(Yeah, exactly. No idea who he competed against! Ah wells. Oh and Cass will end up somewhere when the war starts. And it's not the Red Keep. All I'm saying), _DamonSalvatorelover_(thanks!), _Guest_ (here's the update!), and _lilnudger82 _(I'm glad it's exciting!).

Crap has officially hit the fan.

Disclaimer: I do not own this series, just this writing. Sort of.

* * *

Her brother was going on a hunt. He found her in the hall, while she was looking for his Hand and had announced it to her right then and there. Ned was forbidden to quit, much like Cass thought he would be, which only irked her more. "Is this an appropriate time?" She knew there was no stopping her brother or that her brother had any idea of what was going on. But he was leaving Ned Stark in charge of the Iron Throne—a man who had recently just resigned as his Hand. "Someone else can go fetch you boar."

"I am not too fat yet to get my own boar, little sister." He seemed surprised, and as he should. Cass usually loved when Robert went out on hunts. He was always in a much better mood after killing something. _At least Ned cannot tell him about his children then. _ She wandered where the Stark's mind was. She had no choice but to go to his chambers and talk to find out.

She hugged her brother goodbye and immediately went up to the Tower of the Hand, did not knock, and grabbed Ned Stark by the collar.

"Lady...Lady Cassana?"  
She did not talk. There were too many spiders about and this information was too privileged. It was not far to her room, and she set the fire in her chimney with more wood, causing it to roar and cover their whispers. "Your wife..."

It was then she noticed the limp in his step and she led him to a chair. Ned leaned back and groaned. She had dragged him too much for his leg.

"Is that from Ser Jaime?"  
He nodded. "That and the bodies of my guards."

"Lord Stark." She kept her voice low. "You think Tyrion would truly send his own dagger to murder your son?"

"We should not be talking."

"It is safe here, Ned."

He seemed thinner, Cass noted. "I am not sure you want to hear this at all."

"All I want is what is right for the Seven Kingdoms."

"That is exactly what Varys told me too."

She scowled at that. The last thing she wanted was to be compared to Varys, a master of what he did and also a master of lies. "Then I take it back. I want to help _you_, Ned. And my brother."

"I found out who the father of Cersei's children are."

He said it so plainly, so casually that Cass thought for a second she heard him false. Or maybe, when she realized his statement, that Robert may have been their father. That all of this worrying and sneaking was for nothing at all. But his eyes and body said differently than his voice, and Cass had to ask, "Who?"

"Jaime Lannister."

She froze. Her whole body became rigid and cold as the words seeped into her mind. Nothing about it made sense besides the obvious. Jaime and Cersei were close and always seemed to have private talks. He always defended her. The Baratheon heirs looked wholly Lannister. _Completely_ Lannister. Her mouth must have been open, for it felt dry soon after. Silent, Cass stood up and paced around. Ned didn't follow, but she felt his grey eyes on her back as she began to pace, mind still processing. "How..."

"Cersei told me herself."

That was it. It...it had to be true even though she didn't want to believe it. Cersei would not say something so ridiculous aloud if it wasn't. She would never admit to something so disgusting, so vile if it weren't true. Not only were Robert's children not his, but they were... She couldn't think it. "What do you intend to do?"

"I tried telling Robert today."

He obviously didn't succeed. Robert was still happy. Cersei and her children were still alive. "And?"

"When he comes back, I'll tell him. I was thinking on what you said, and I will leave some time, write to Stannis."

"My brother?" Cass nodded. "Have you talked to Renly?"

"Yes, a little. I have yet to update him on all the details." Ned sighed. "Stannis is Robert's rightful heir. He should know of it."

She could not help but agree. She was...disgusted by Cersei, by Lannister ambition, that she supported the idea of having Stannis come from Dragonstone. At least then, with the incest revealed, Tywin could not attack. No one would support him. No one would come to their rescue at all. It would be the Lannisters, alone, against the powers of King's Landing, Dragonstone, Storm's End, and, from the looks of it, Winterfell. "Ned." She suddenly felt dirty. "I can get you some milk of the poppy for your leg."

"Yes, maybe. Pycelle would not think to poison you."

Cass felt guilty at that. He was too afraid to live here, she realized. "Rest here for a while."

She left her own chambers and found one of her handmaidens nearby and asked her to bring some milk of the poppy to her room and leave it outside. "Tell Pycelle I have a headache. That is all. Speak of nothing else."

As her handmaiden left, Cassana looked out the window to see Robert's company was already off. Both of her brothers were gone on this hunt, and neither of them said goodbye to her. It wasn't much time later that Robert came back dying.

* * *

She remembered staring at him, his face puffed up and red as he lay on his sleeping bed that would soon have a new name. She knew it. Cassana understood although Renly and the others would tell her otherwise. Cersei was there with her, though Robert did not look at her at all. His eyes were trained on Cass' face, never fleeting to his beautiful wife by his bedside. All she saw was love. She wanted to cry. She couldn't cry. Robert...Robert could not die. The legacy he would be leaving behind was nothing at all—her and Renly and Stannis and a couple of bastards. _Where has my house fallen?_

She stroked his cheek and felt the sweat on her palms from his fever. It would be soon, she knew it. "Robert, you've always been a stubborn idiot. I told you not to go."

"Wise. You've always...been wise."

No, she was not always wise. She did not see the obvious. She did not protect him from the lions clawing at his heels. Cass gripped his hand and sat there in the silence, not wanting to force speech from him. Cersei was leaning over, words on the tip of her tongue though Cass could not look at her much. She...She did not know why, but even here, seeing Cersei looking forcefully sad over her husband, she could not help but feel...sad for her too. Sympathetic may have been a stretch, but she knew this girl's childhood must have been twisted. It was the only explanation to Cass though it did nothing to settle the anger in her stomach _And Jaime's too_. _What drove him to his sister's bed? _ She shuddered and turned back to her brother. The dark, sticky blood was seeping through his bandages, and Cassana cringed. "Robert." She didn't know what to say. What do you say to someone dying? "I love you, Robert."

"Cass, I love you. You...you look like our mother."

She ran her hands through his hair, "I know." Cass gave Cersei a reassuring smile, though her answer held anything but. "I will watch your legacy, Robert. I will take care of our bloodline and our house when Renly and Stannis cannot."

He grunted at that—at the bloodline or their brothers she did not know. "Cersei?"

The blonde shifted forward, looking at him doe-eyed and dutiful. "Your Grace?"

"Find Cass a husband worthy of me—no, fuck that—find her a husband _better_ than what I deserve or what she does even. If you are going to promise or shed tears about anything, do it over this."

She nodded. That task was simple enough for Cersei, Cass thought. Cass couldn't care less about herself at the moment. "Yes, Robert. But your bloodline..." Cass looked to Cersei, and her green eyes revealed nothing. _She's had over a decade to practice—perhaps more hiding the fact that she's been fucking her brother. _ Her stomach churned. "Joffrey is still not of age."

"Cersei will call Ned here soon." It appeared this was not the first time Robert had told Cersei this, for the woman seemed to stiffen but understood the question enough. She did not like Ned Stark. And Cass knew it had nothing to do with what his wife did to Tyrion. But from the look of her face, she seemed to already have sent for him. _Good._

Cass could not help but feel relieved. She wanted to hear it though, from the king's own mouth. "You intend on him becoming regent?"

It was noticeable this time. The question hung in the air with such force and pressure that Cass thought that Cersei might just explode from her fine silks. _Good riddance. _ Robert nodded his head. "I do."

"So says the King." Cass curtsied.

"Cass, leave me and my wife alone, will you?"

Cass backed away from the room, and said to Cersei, "I will go to the children."

The blonde beauty nodded, but didn't turn around at all.

The children were close by. Cass had been avoiding them, but seeing them sit in a small circle with their Septas, eyes dark and worried, made her heart twist. She knew these children. She...she could not see any Baratheon in them—not even the dark eyes that were rare but did pop up from her mother. Their eyes shone green, not blue. Their hair glistened in the light like spun gold. Cass swallowed and gave Myrcella a hug. Even their cheekbones were completely wrong. _They are lion cubs and that is all. No...not all. I know them still. _"My loves."

The little girl leaned on her shoulder. It felt wet. "Aunt Cassana!" The grip tightened, and soon Tommen waddled over and tugged at Cass's long sleeve. She hugged him as well, and exhaled. _The people would think these children monsters. _Her eyes turned to Joffrey—as far as the Seven Kingdoms knew—the true heir.

"You've been missing from court, dear aunt."

She swallowed. But Cass stood, picking up Tommen with her. "I was not feeling well." Cass raised her chin. She would not be intimidated by someone who was not even man grown. "Now I feel even worse as you can understand."

"My uncle has also been disappearing."

Her mind was turning. Joffrey suspected something. The little prick suspected _her_. _I did not think him that intelligent_. She'd have to watch herself. "I do not know which you mean. Jaime is gone, as you might have known, and who knows where Renly goes, Joff. He's a free man and I suspect he takes advantage of that freedom rather unforced." A shadow caught her eye, and she sat Tommen back on the ground, touching his nose.

"Is Father going to be alright?" Tommen asked, weakly.

"No, Father will not be alright. Father was just _mauled _by a boar," Joff snapped.

Cass turned, letting the shadow past for now. "Joffrey, if you are to be king one day, learn how to hold your tongue and show compassion." _Prick._

"When I am king one day, dear aunt, I will not need to."

"Then your reign will not be a long one, my nephew. Do not mistake my statement as a threat, but as guidance." She said it sweetly, smiling and pushing back Joffrey's hair in the same way she had done with all the children since they were young.

Joffrey did not seem bothered by the words or the contact. He just sat down, scoffing, which was not unusual.

She curtsied as an exit, and echoed a thought her and Tyrion had both discussed in detail before. _Why couldn't Tommen have been born first?_

"Lord Stark!" She knew she saw him passing, knew he was going to Robert. She would talk to him before Cersei could...before he could talk to Robert. "Lord Stark, it's Cassana Baratheon."

That name demanded power sometimes—the full name—no nicknames or pure surnames alone. Cassana Baratheon was the Lady of Storm's End before she died. And Cass would exploit that name when needed. Though it appeared Ned did not mean to go pass her. He turned, clearly surprised and caught up in his head. "Cass." He bowed a bit and held his hand to his heart.

"You are going to see my brother?"

"Yes, my lady. Do you wish to join me?"

She shook her head. Ned needed to be alone. "I wish to know what you are planning on saying to him. Cersei had called you to him."

Ned acknowledged that. "I am still uncertain."

She could not sway him, Cass knew. Nor could Robert decree the death of her or her children while she was right outside. The shift in power was obvious. Cersei was gaining strength and hold over the Red Keep. The name of the king always kept her back, Cass knew, but that would soon fade with Robert's death if they did not act, if she did not leave Ned Stark alone. "I will wait for you outside."

"As you wish."

Cersei was soon joining her outside the room, and the two ladies stood there, eyes to the ground. "Your children." Cass started. "They have seen him?"

"A little. I do not wish to subject them much."

She wondered if that were true if Jaime was the one who was dying. Cass once looked to Cersei in admiration. She was beautiful, truly, probably the most beautiful woman Cass had seen. She remembered their wedding. Cass was in awe. Cass wanted to be as beautiful as Cersei was. She wanted blonde hair and white silks. She wanted the beautiful red and golds of the house Lannister to adorn her and emerald green eyes that blazed like wildfire. She was a Baratheon now though, only through marriage, but Cass saw how Lannister she was. She'd always be Lannister, and Cass wondered if she would be the same. _I am of the House Baratheon. _Would that ever change? Would she trade in her black and golds for a new color and never think of them again?

Cass remembered what Joffrey had said. Suspicion might have been in her mind too. "This must be trying, Your Grace. If you need anything from me, please let me know."

It seemed that Cersei was about to ask her something but seemed to have changed her mind. "No, but thank you, Cassana." Her voice was soft, and Cass wondered if she were just playing the part. Cersei straightened her chin and opened her mouth again, "Actually, I am curious. You saw my brother before he left north, did you not?"

"Yes, my queen."

"What did he say to you?"

Cass blinked and looked away. "Only that he hates the Starks." She decided that perhaps she and Jaime had discussed the matter in greater detail so she continued, "I told him that Ned wanted me to marry his son Robb."

"Is that true?"

She shook her head, "It was not. Jaime took it as such though, I'm afraid."

"You would not consider that match then?"

Cersei was trying to play her, seeming truly interested in Robert's last wish but also testing her loyalty. _To the Starks or the Lannisters. _ Cass did not hesitate. "The Starks are a good house. Sansa is a fine lady and would make a fine queen one day. But Robb is too much like his father."

"And what do you mean by that?"

Cass wasn't sure. It just seemed like the answer Cersei wanted to hear. "I think you know."

Ned came out soon after, and Cersei snaked her way back into the room.

"Did you..."

Ned shook his head and took a piece of paper from his pocket, not saying anything. It was Robert's will, Cass realized. "True heir?"

"I may have changed the wording."

"No one will know." That was a double-edged sword. "No one saw you write this."

"I am his hand."

"And as the King's sister, I have seen it. You could not have made up such a will." Cass smiled.

"Oh?"

"You lack the ambition."

He did. Ned Stark did not want to be king, but Cass would have him. Being king was better than being dead.

* * *

Renly was knocking on her door days after Robert was hurt by the boar. He walked in, Ser Loras behind him, and started to open her drawers and throw her things on the floor.

"Renly!" She barely acknowledged Loras, too shocked by her youngest brother's actions. "What are you doing?" Cass was in bed. She had been sleeping.  
"I'm packing. Well, helping you pack."

"Why?"

"We're going. Loras will accompany you ahead while I leave with our bannermen."

Loras was half covering his eyes since Cass was not completely decent. "I'm sorry, Lady Cassana. This is urgent."

She did not care about Ser Loras seeing her like this. Loras was not interested in her anyway and she needed to get her brother to stop. "I am not leaving the Red Keep."

"Cass." Renly stopped and touched her shoulder. "Robert's dead."

Her heart sunk. She knew it was coming, had known, but...still... Cass pushed his hand away and sat down. The tears were about to come but she sucked them back down. She did not have time to cry. "Then we must bury him."

"There is no time for that. Joffrey will be crowned king and the Lannisters will hold the Iron Throne with a vice grip."

The 'rumors' had spread then, or maybe it was Ned Stark who talked to Renly, she did not know. "So you intend to retreat to Storm's End? Back to Baratheon territory?"

"I intend to go to Highgarden."

She turned to Loras. "Tyrell land."

"Yes. The Tyrells support Baratheon claim to the throne and not a king born from incest."

_The Tyrells support the winning side of the war. _But Cass just nodded. This was going too fast for her. She had wished Renly had sent her some word. _At least he has not left completely without me. _"We should not abandon King's Landing, Renly. We have our bannermen and the gold cloaks here. The Lannisters are no threat. Send for Highgarden if you wish. I suppose you can have your father, Loras, be a part of the small council if he wishes, and perhaps even Hand. Ned Stark does not want it."

"If you think we own the gold cloaks, little sister, you are a great fool."

She grimaced at that. _Cersei has paid them off? _ "Then we have you, and Petyr must be loyal to the Starks. You see how he talks about Lady Cateyln."

"It is that what worries me for Ned Stark." Renly groaned and kept piling her bags. "Ned Stark has his own plans in motion. But he is the next target. I have already talked to him and he refused my plans. He wishes to deliver the throne to Stannis. He is not going to accept the regency."

Cass narrowed her dark eyes, "It is Stannis' throne, brother. If we are to follow the..."

"Oh come on, Cass, you know as well as I do what kind of king Stannis would be."

"Then what do you intend, Renly?" She stared at them both, looking between Loras and Renly when she finally figured it out. She said it slower, harsher. "What do you intend?"

Loras was the one who answered her, "Lord Renly will claim his right to the Iron Throne."

"He does not have it though." Cass couldn't help saying it. "It is Stannis' and then yours. What right do you think you have to it?"

Renly wasn't talking; the look on his face was marked with anger and shame. Loras was passionate though, exalted by the proposition. "Renly will be an excellent king, my lady. He is fair and intelligent. The people love him."

"That they do and they will love him more as this rumor of Joffrey's birth spreads." Cass shook her head. "What if Stannis fights you for this?" She knew her now oldest brother. He was not satisfied with Dragonstone after he almost died saving Storm's End. Dragonstone had traditionally been a land given to the king's oldest brother, but the Baratheons were not Targaryeans. There was no love for that land, and the land of Storm's End was wealthier. "You intend to divide our house over this metal seat?"

"And if I do, sister," Renly finally spoke. "What side do you choose?"

She hesitated, mouth open. Was he really ready to declare war on their brother? Right after Robert died? "Please, Renly, do not do this."

His blue eyes dulled. "Ser Loras, I cannot speak to her anymore." He turned out of the room. "Help my sister pack or leave her here. I do not care."

She was left with the Knight of the Flowers, no longer tired or sad. She was angry at Renly, at Loras, at Robert for dying and for Cersei and Jaime. She wanted to leave the Red Keep but not for Highgarden or Storm's End or Dragonstone. She did not know where to go anymore. All of the places that were once her home seemed scattered, broken. Her house was breaking. Her house...the proud stag with a crown around his neck. It was shattered now. "Ser Loras..."

"He intends on marrying my sister, Margaery."

Cass nodded. "You are not to be his consort then?"

Loras was not taken aback. "Renly said you might have known. I thought so too. You understand us."

"I do not understand _this_, Ser Loras."

"If I did not intend on joining his Kingsguard, we could marry, Cassana. You and I. It would make our relationship much easier."

Cass tinged with anger. She was not here to make Renly's life easier. She was not...she could not support this. He was acting like a child again, fighting for a toy. Renly thought because of his charisma that he could steal Stannis' birthright, but Stannis was stubborn and hard. He would not be afraid to fight Renly, even with the power of Highgarden supporting him. "This is foolish. Renly and Stannis could fight under one banner: the _Baratheon _banner. They are brothers."

"And they are putting you in a tough spot, I know, but please do not make the wrong choice, Cassana. Come with us to Highgarden. It is beautiful there."

She was sure it was, as beautiful as the Tyrells. But there was so much left to do here. Cersei had some sort of plan, that Cass was sure of with Renly's admission about the City Watch. She could not leave Ned Stark here or her nephews and nieces to rot. "Perhaps I will make it there at a later date, Ser Loras. I...I cannot make this decision right now. And someone needs to bury Robert still."

"I told him as such." Loras declined his head. "I will ask Renly to have some bannermen stay behind for you. It is only right."

"Thank you."

"Do you wish for me to say anything to Renly?"

She didn't know what to say, only maybe perhaps to ask him to reconsider. But Loras would not deliver that message. "Just remind him that Stannis is reasonable. It may not need be a battle between brothers. You can understand why I would not want that." Loras nodded and Cass went on. "Stannis is not a charismatic man, he knows this. He may not want the throne. Give him an offer—maybe Storm's End—that's what he has always wanted, and Renly can have his iron seat."

Loras bowed and left, not saying anything else, and Cass fell on her bed and cried over her dead brother and her dying house.

* * *

A/N:

Yeah...

I'm sleepy. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. And Jaime fans, don't kill me. :D


	8. Traitor

A/N:

Hey all! Let me just say this chapter makes me nervous. Ah. Ah. There are several reasons why. I guess you'll see.

Thanks to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers! Special thanks to:  
_MorraHadon_ (I hope the never killing me still stands. She does need a hug. Sansa and her should just band together and take over the Iron Throne), _DamonSalvatorelover _(Nah, that'd be too easy! and thanks!), _Stark-Lannister_( Thanks thanks! How it exactly pans out is still partially in the works), _purple sky always _(do you? Hm.), _Elin _(Thanks! and here it is! Hope you like it!), _BookWorm4479_ (Medically makes me think they'd be like..conjoined or something...I'm thinking too much. Thanks so much! That's really kind! :D), _StarkStruck11 _(Oh, you should be. And Jaime's appearances are thinning out for a bit. He needs time off. Poor guy), _Guest_ (hehe. She has a little bit of her brothers in her), _Aeryan _(I'm so happy you commented about the kids! That was sort of interesting to work out in my head), _ThatGirl54 _(Thanks! And will they even be reunited? Ha, jk. They will. Eventually.), and _nightwatchers2 _(Yay!).

Sorry my comments are long and obnoxious.

Disclaimer: I do not own this series. Let's be real.

* * *

She received word that Ned had been arrested soon after. Cass immediately wanted to go to Cersei and choke her, using the techniques Jaime had taught her, but she didn't. She was still neutral here. Dressed all in black, Cass asked her handmaiden what happened to Ned's children. "I've heard the oldest is kept in her room. She is King Joffrey's consort after all."

King Joffrey. So he was a king now. Cass did not comment. "And the younger one? Arya Stark?"

"She is lost, my lady."

_Lost or killed?_ She did not know how this could have happened. Her own men reported back to her about the gold cloak attack on Stark bannermen, but Cass had not commanded them to fight for Ned Stark. They could not for then she would be next for dead. Renly was gone, which raised much suspicion, and recently Cassana had heard invisible footsteps, following her. She was the last Baratheon here, she realized. And Renly had not left nearly enough men.

She was in front of the dungeons where Ned Stark was held when a gold cloak stopped her. "What are you doing here, Lady Cassana?"

There was a threat in his voice. He had been bought and paid for by Cersei. "To visit a prisoner."

"Which one?"

She did not hesitate, "Lord Stark, sir. And who are you to question a noble lady like this?"

"It's m' job. The Queen Regent has declared no one speak to that prisoner."

"I do not care what the queen regent declared." Everything was falling apart and she was losing time for prudence. "Let me in before I order one of my men to force you to."

She always walked with two guards now, even down into the dungeons. She had one try all her food, one follow her everywhere and watch her every step and the doors outside. She knew these men. They watched her grow up and loved her and her brother. They could not be paid. "Watch him and make sure he does not leave until I do." Cass told one of her guards, Surik.

The dungeons were bleak and smelled like a room filled with chamber pots. Cass watched her footing as she walked down the long path of stairs, and ignored the wails beckoning her from the small, dirty cells. _Find Ned. Just look for Ned. _ It took her a while, but eventually Cass had found his cell. Her chest felt heavy at the sight.

Ned Stark seemed broken on the ground. _His leg must still hurt from Jaime._ He had been here less than a day, and Cass intended on him not staying there a day longer. "What happened?" She leaned on the bars. It smelled disgusting here. Like death.

"I've been arrested."

She sighed, and knelt down to his eyelevel. "Robert's will..."

"Cersei ripped it to shreds."

Cass scoffed. She should have seen that coming. "Lord Stark, I will get you out of here."

"I did not know your brother was leaving. Why did you not go with him?"

Renly had betrayed him in some way, she thought. Perhaps Ned was relying on all of their bannermen. Surely the combined forces of the Baratheon and Stark would be enough against the Lannisters. But he had not thought about Cersei buying off the gold cloaks. No...there must have been another betrayal as well. _Littlefinger. Renly was right._

"Renly forgets the kindness your family has shown us during my brother's rebellion. But I did not. I will bring you home to Winterfell, Ned."

"No, do not worry about me. My children..."

_Are not as important. _Winterfell needed a lord, not two girls. But she understood his refusal. "All of you then."

"Are they safe?"

Cass did not lie completely, "I have not heard otherwise, Ned."

"You should go to Storm's End. They will not like you talking to me. There are spies everywhere."

She knew this. It would be smart to leave, but she could not live with herself if she did. She looked at Ned and saw Jon Snow in his grey eyes, Robb Stark in his honor. She saw Lyanna taken by the Targaryeans, and she knew then that she would not leave him here to die. "I will talk to Cersei. Joffrey is just a puppet. And it would not be prudent to kill his fiancé's father."

Ned said nothing on that. Surely the thought of them marrying made him sick now. It sickened her as well.

When she was about to leave, Cass went through her hair, taking out one of her braids and handing Ned the golden pin. "I gave the same favor to your son in Winterfell." That seemed ages ago now.

"Is this a promise of good faith?"

"Yes, and more. If you escape, you can sell it for passage. It is real gold and sapphire. It should pay for your trip home or at least to Riverrun."

"Thank you, my lady."

She did not deserve his thanks. She did not deserve to talk to this man after her sister in law's and brother's betrayal. Leaving him was hard, but she needed to. She needed to talk to Cersei, but Cass was completely unsure of what she would say to convince her to let Ned Stark out.

She went to the Queen Regent's chambers and knocked. Her guards were behind her, but Cersei seemed uneasy to let them inside. "Stay here, then." If she killed her, so be it. The treachery could easily be proven and Cass would not mind if her death brought the downfall of Cersei Lannister at the moment. Whatever pity she felt for this woman left as she saw Ned Stark rotting in his cell, his leg injured and his face pallid and sickly. She needed to get him home and to a maester.

"My Queen."

"What are you doing here, Cassana?" Cersei did not hesitate. She was robed all in black expect for the fat ruby necklace on her collarbone. "I hear you made a visit to a prisoner."

"Your birds are good. Who are they? Varys? Littlefinger, my Queen?"

"Did we just come to accuse me of spying?" She huffed. "I do not have time for that."

"Other accusations, Queen Cersei, some worse than others." Cass let the threat hang before continuing. "I suggest you have your guards leave the room unless you wish for them to hear?"

Cersei prickled. She seemed uglier suddenly, and the guards were soon leaving the room at the wave of her hand. "Why did you not run away with your craven brother? Why are you still here?"

"To see that a Baratheon takes the throne." Cass said easily. "For it is not the case now."

"I will not continue to hear this _trash_. Ned Stark has been spreading rumors like the traitor he is. It was he who was responsible for Robert's death."

"Yes? Was it now? Was he also responsible for hiring an assassin to kill his son? For fucking Jaime and having his children?" Cass was not afraid any longer. Cersei was just a lady, a player of these games. The Queen could not fight her. She could not kill her with her bare hands like Cass could. "And let me not forget about Jon Arryn."

Her face reddened. "All you are saying are lies. Your brother's ambition has distorted your brain."

"Maybe. Or maybe I do this for my late brother's honor. Queen Cersei, I saw Robert's will. I know what it said. The people will believe me. They love me as they love Renly. If I call him the true king, the people will stand for it. There will be blood on your children's doublets."

"You would steal that from Stannis?" She laughed. "You would send your nephews and niece to their deaths? You do not have the strength, Cassana. You do not have the _power_."

"I do. And I would. Do not test me, Cersei. If you put Ned Stark's head on a spike, then yours will follow soon after."

Her laughter was real this time, loud, and bellowing and scary. Cassana stepped back, frightened, but Cersei just beckoned her closer."Is that what you think I intend to do? You think me an idiot then."

Cass paused, "What?"

"I do not intend on _killing_ Ned Stark. I do not need Winterfell, Storm's End, and no doubt Dragonstone after me."

No, she did not. "Then why are you holding him?"

"Because he made the same threats you made to me, Lady Cassana. Ned Stark needs to learn to hold his tongue and that he cannot make these things known. Then I will release him."

"To go home to Winterfell?"

She shook her head."Once again, I am no idiot. He killed the king, you must remember." Cassana bristled, but Cersei continued, "Joffrey will pardon him and he'll be sent to the Wall."

"The Night's Watch? He'll have to...admit to these crimes."

"Yes."

"And what makes you think he'll do that?"

"Perhaps you can convince him." Cersei smiled. "Give him a week. Let him think about what he did, and then give him the option, Cassana. Be a good girl."

She was outgunned and outplayed. "Where is Arya Stark?"

Cersei shrugged. "I do not know."

"But Sansa though, she is alright?"

The Lannister guards were soon coming back inside. "As much as you are."

* * *

There were Lannister guards following her everywhere. Her own had vanished, and she could not help but feel that they were dead. Renly had left ten men for her, but that was nothing compared to the City Watch and the Lannister's men.

It was the same day that her guards were replaced that she found out Winterfell was beginning to stir. Some raven had reached the northern citadel and Robb Stark was not happy. _How could he be?_ She pictured Robb, auburn hair tousled as he sat on Winterfell's seat, wondering how his father was, how his sisters were. The assassination attempt was most likely already known. _They have no more friends here. Ned is a prisoner. Arya is gone. Sansa is a hostage._

She had no friends here either, or at least they were running thin. A loyal handmaiden had snuck her a letter, not from Storm's End or Highgarden, but from Dragonstone. _Stannis._

The seal was strange, but Cass did not find that mattered much for she ripped it open anyway:

_ Lady Cassana,_

_ Word of Robert's death has reached my ear, and the shame of his wife and fake children also. Lord Stark was right to inform me of this treachery. I am the proper heir, and from the fire and shadow, I will come and save you. By the power of the Red God, I will come to King's Landing and seize what is right and rescue you. Do not worry, little sister. Do not fear the flame for the night is dark and full of terrors._

_ King Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone and King in the Narrow Sea_

It was short. Concise. Much like Stannis was, but the words were all wrong and so was the writing. She read the letter over and over. Stannis was never a religious man from what she remembered. But this...Red God dominated his speech and thought. She took his advice and fed the letter to the flames. Stannis thought her a hostage. It killed her to think that maybe he was right.

She was trapped here. Like Sansa. Like a mouse. She was not allowed outside her room unless she was appearing for court or meals. Her handmaidens barely spoke to her, and the men outside her door would not look at her directly. _In Dorne, I would be a princess. Here I am a prisoner. _ Sansa was not faring any better. She barely saw the girl, but her face became longer, her red hair lost some of its fire.

A visitor came after a week, and she was surprised to see Varys knocking on her doors. "Lady Cassana, I fear I have not seen much of you."

"I'm sure you have heard much though." She was tired and bitter. "Tell me, do they call me a traitor as they do Sansa? Do they try to stain the Baratheon name?"

"On the contrary. You have taken ill after your poor brother's death. Maester Pycelle says you are recovering, oh yes, but there could be a _dip_ in your health quite soon." Varys was telling the truth of what rumors were spreading. So be it. She was sick. Cersei could easily kill her off this way, Cass realized. _That will not happen. _"And as for the Baratheon name, it is Joffrey's, not yours, that is causing the staining."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here, Varys? Are my walls too thick now? Would you like a hole?"

"Your walls have always been hard to hear through, my lady, but I come to bring you to the dungeon."

"Cersei has paid you to watch me."

"Yes, but not quite enough."

She smiled. "Very well then. I feel I do not need to remind you that my brother is backed by Highgarden and my other has a fleet that could bury King's Landing? And that I am currently still in both their favors?"

"You do not, my lady." Varys was in agreement. "Not at all. I'm here to take you to Eddard Stark."

"My lord?"

"Cersei just wants you to speak with him. We are...hoping for the same arrangement."

_As am I. _ Ned would swallow his honor, but that would mean saving his life. She was not sure which he would pick. "Take me to him."

She followed Varys to the dungeon cells, where the dank of rotting skin and groaning bodies ached through her. Ned Stark looked worse—much worse, and Cass thought that maybe death would only be a matter of time now. "Eddard?"

He stirred up, and Varys apparently had keys to his cell, for the door swung open. Cass went in immediately, running practically to Ned's side and holding him up. She...she felt lost here. Trapped, like the Starks were, but she was going to find a way out for the both of them. She touched his shoulder. "Ned, please wake up."

"Cassana?"

"Yes, yes."

"What are you..."

"I am here to talk to you. I...I found a way out."

His grey eyes turned to the eunuch behind her. "Lord Varys?"

"Please my lord, while I do not intend to kneel in your shit as the lady here, I am also here to help."

"I...I..how?"

Cass moved away from aforementioned shit. "Cersei does not wish to kill you and bring about the anger of Winterfell. My brothers will be enough trouble for King's Landing." Cass noticed the ring fall from her bodice, openly visible. She did not move it. "She says that if you admit to your...treason, then Joffrey will spare you and you can take the black."

Ned did not respond right away, seeming to digest what Cass had said. Varys actually spoke first. "It is a good option, Lord Stark. Life over death."

"But what of my daughters?"

Cass bit her lip. She...she was going to do something very bad. "I think you may need to leave them here." Ned stared t her. "For now. Your family needs you. Robb and Bran and Rickon. And your wife, Ned. Arya is lost. Not dead, but the queen does not know where she is. Sansa is captive, but they will not kill her while she works as leverage. Do not let the Lannisters have two hostages, Ned."

"How am I supposed to forfeit my honor for a few more years of life? I cannot admit to this treason. I did not kill your brother. "

Cass nodded. "And I know that. And Renly knows it too and Stannis. There is war coming." She knew it was true. Everyone in this dark little cell did. "And if you leave this place and join my brothers, your 'treason' will be forgotten. Your daughter will be rescued and Joffrey and Cersei will not rule the Seven Kingdoms."

Varys was looking at her. She was wondering if he would report this to Cersei. Her own life was forfeit, she knew that. She was no consort to a Lannister. She was leverage for Stannis and Renly. A pawn. She would get revenge on this indirectly as long as Ned Stark was pardoned. She did not tell him that her brothers may be at each others throats for she did not hope that would come to be. "I will think on this."

"Please do." Cassana stood up. "Lord Stark, your leg is getting worse. Joffrey wishes to sentence you on the steps of Baelor tomorrow. It is good timing. You can go home in time to receive help from a maester."

"I will think, Cassana."

She looked to Varys who was already backing out of the cell. This was the best they could hope for.

* * *

On the steps of Baelor, Cass watched as Joffrey stood, antler crown on his head. He still looked like a little prick to her, but it was different now. He had power, so much power, that Cass wanted to leave this place soon. _I do not know how that will happen. _ She would have to wait for Renly or Stannis. She was a sitting duck until then. And she suddenly wished Jaime was here.

There were so many people out here, crowding the steps. Hundreds of people seemed to pour out of the city streets. Sansa stood by Joffrey and Cersei, and Cass stood away, closer to Ned, but with her own flanking of Lannister guards nearby. Sansa had whispered to her before on the steps. "Joffrey promised me mercy."

Cass hoped this was true. She looked to Cersei, but nothing seemed amiss. The sentencing was soon. Ned's crimes were stated, and Cass hoped to both the old gods and the new that Ned would admit to it.

"I admit to treason."

The words were a relief. She could feel her body relax from the extreme tension she was holding. The admittance killed Ned on the inside. _But it is okay. He can return to Winterfell. _Cass would tell Ned not to take the black. _Continue being a lord and fight back. _ _Joffrey's words are meaningless. You are not bound._ He was not Robert. He was not her king.

Joffrey was smirking above him. "My mother wishes in respect to my fiancé that I show mercy to this traitor and have him take the black. But I am not as weak as a woman. Eddard Stark of Winterfell, you are sentenced to death."

_What? _Sansa was screaming, and Cass found her own voice following hers."Stop! Stop it!"

Ilyn Payne did not stop. He kept walking, and Cass pushed forward through the guards who immediately grabbed her arms. She did not have time to fight through them, so she shouted again, "Ser Payne! In the name of Robert Baratheon, last King of the Seven Kingdoms, I command you to stop!"

Ser Payne looked to her, not saying anything for he couldn't. The crowd was loud, becoming cacophonous, and Cass turned to the guards. "Unhand me! I am a lady, a _Baratheon. _ Let me go!" She elbowed one, knowing easily how to grapple out of holds, and the others relented. She did not move to touch Lord Stark, but instead, went to King Joffrey. "Dear nephew, you have no power to sentence life or death. I was there at my brother's deathbed. He had a will! He had told me what the future held for Eddard Stark, and it was not this!"

The crowd was too loud. They could not hear her. But Joffrey did. He grabbed her bodice by the breast and dragged her. "Aunt! You bitch! What are you doing questioning my reign?""

"Ask your mother." She shot Cersei a dirty look. "Do what you like to me, but be warned, that if I am dead, there will be no less than fifty ravens being sent to Storm's End and Dragonstone. My brothers will have a uniting cause."

Joffrey sneered and threw her back, but Cersei was grabbing her hand and dragging her inside. "All of you, _now."_

Joffrey was pushed in by Sandor Clegane, and Sansa followed soon after, weeping. They huddled into the Great Sept. Cersei's grip was cutting off Cass' blood flow.

"You impudent wench." Joffrey hit her on the cheek, rings cutting her skin. Cass wanted to fight back, but she bit her lip instead, drawing blood. "Filthy cunt!" Another hit. "How dare you! How dare you make these claims! These..."

"No one heard her, Your Grace, so sit your royal ass down." The Hound grabbed his shoulder and drew him back and away from Cass. Her face would be black and blue. The blood was already dripping on the sept's floor.

Cersei was much calmer, but her voice was pure poison. "He is right. Lady Cassana, how dare you say such a thing!"

"How dare you sentence this man to death!" Cassana shivered. Her jaw hurt. Her mouth tasted like copper and a surge of energy was pouring through her. _What have I just done? _ It was too late now. She couldn't take what she had done back, and they had every right to kill her now if they wanted to. "Let him take the black. There is word that his son is gathering an army as we speak and you wish to _kill _him." She looked at Joff. "Send him back or put him into power as your regent. That would push the young wolf back. I do not wish for more bloodshed on the Red Keep's steps."

"She isn't wrong." The Hound was defending her. Ned was just kneeling on the ground, stunned and tired. Sansa was still crying. "Keep the girl here and you still have your leverage. Send Lord Stark back to Winterfell and have him take the black like you promised. That could calm the wolf boy down."

"And what of this interruption!?"

"Tell them about the will," Cass said. "I don't care what you say exactly. Tell them that my brother knew of Ned's betrayal and his last wish was to pardon him. Joffrey was...misinformed."

Cersei scoffed, "Well you certainly thought this through except one thing."

Cass didn't know what she meant. She hadn't thought any of this through at all. "What is that?"

"That we have no way of knowing that Ned Stark will not raise an army in vengeance of this little...mishap. Or if the young wolf as you say will cease his advances."

_Is she not seeing the same man I see? _ Ned was sick. Very sick. He was not ready for war. He did not want this crown on his head. "I had not thought of that, Your Grace."

"But I have." Cersei smiled. "You forget that my husband's last wish was also to find you a husband. So it shall be."

Cass blinked. She did not know what that had to do with anything at all. "I am sorry?" She tried her best to mind her manners though on the inside she was reeling. She had risked so much, and she couldn't think straight. Her body was still shaking and sweating from what she had done outside. "I do not follow."

"Nor would you in that dim little head of yours. Joff, what if we do what Cassana says and send Eddard Stark home?"

The blond boy was taken aback, "But mother..."

"And she will follow, be sold to the Starks." Cersei was looking at her rings. "Like a doe. I can think of no better gift for her or for them."

Cass coughed, "But..."

"It is _more_ than you deserve." Cersei hissed. "To be shipped to some foreign land like cattle or potatoes. And to be honest, I do not think I can look upon you again without ordering your head ." She spat and then turned her face back down. "Ned Stark was pardoned yes, but then escaped with you during the night since he could not save his own daughter. He has taken you hostage for Sansa and as a consort to his son if he does not cease this stupid war. King's Landing does not know what to do, but I am sure Storm's End and Dragonstone will seek your retrieval."

_She plans on uniting my brothers against the North? _ Cass stayed silent. Even if Cersei's plans were believed, she was not so sure her brothers would pick her over the Iron Throne. _They already are fighting one battle against themselves. What is another sibling but a casualty to war?_

"My Queen, what is to stop the Starks from sending ravens to her brothers?" the Hound questioned. Cass knew he was right. There was nothing stopping them. "They could easily form an alliance."

Cersei didn't seem fazed. "Is it my misgivings or is both Dragonstone and Storm's End east of here? We will intercept every damn bird you send." She was staring at Ned. "And if I catch an inkling of such an action, I will have Ser Payne here kill another little bird."

Ned squirmed, and this time, Cass went next to him unafraid. "You wish for us to travel alone to Winterfell?"

"Nonsense. I'll have guards escort you. Your brothers would not know that, now would they?"

She could not join Renly or Stannis then, not that she knew who to go to. Cass looked to the group of people. Sansa was still crying. Joff wanted to kill her. Cersei...Cersei was offering a way out, but she saw the look on her face. _This is a delayed killing._ She would hunt her down when this was all over. Cersei knew that King's Landing could not afford a war against three armies. _So send two after one and fight the victor. _

Perhaps she shouldn't have let Cersei win. Perhaps she should have moved over to Joffrey, strangled him, and rid the kingdom of this menace. _Tommen would not be any better with his mother at his back. _ And Ned's life would be forfeited too. No...No she was protecting Ned Stark. She owed this to him. "So be it, My Queen."

* * *

A/N:

There are more reasons to this not-so-well-thought-out plan by Cersei Lannister. Oh yes. More reasons than just plot devices.

Ah still nervous...there's a change in the tides coming. And I must apologize to my Jaime fans again, but do not worry too much!


	9. Fair Trade

A/N:

So sorry for the delay! I've been so busy with things, and now I feel guilty.

Thank you thank you to all my readers and a special thanks to those who have reviewed! (here's the list since my last update):

_Aeryan _(the fanfic author in me is too nice), _purple sky always _(I don't think it'd be satisfying at all if she didn't :D), _ThatGirl54 __(_It's sort of what she wanted...haha. the plot is getting too thick to move! Thanks!), _Kaleighsu _(Whoa, thanks! Cersei is actually super fun to write. And I'm glad I can induce the same level of hatred, haha), _Guest _(Thanks! And yeah, the Hound...someone on that side needs to be the tiniest bit for her side of things. And compared to Cass' speech, I guess his was nothing to them), _Guest _(Thank you! I try to keep you guys wanting to read :D), _Guest (_thanks thanks!), _meri_ (Oh Cersei. If only she had a legitimate child this mess would be done), _MorraHadon _(Wow, that was exactly it. I'm glad you're getting into Cass' head so well! and thanks :D), _DamonSalvatoreLover_ (Glad I could surprise you!), _Lisolotte _(Thanks so much! Hope it keeps you interested!), and _Dido _(I just found it amusing petting someone who can so easily kill you the in the next week or so. So I guess it's like the lion, ha. And oh Jaime. There will be more of that!).

This chapter is somewhat explanatory and may be boring...bear with me :D

Disclaimer: I do not own _A Song of Ice and Fire _ or any of the places, characters, or...anything else actually owned by GRRM.

* * *

They were on the road within a few hours.

Joffrey had made the announcement, appearing a compassionate king that honored his late father's wishes. _"For a father's wishes are above all others". _ Cass snorted at the fresh memory of the young king's speech on the Sept. She wondered what his real father, Jaime, would say under these circumstances. _He'd order me dead at his feet._ That she was sure of. She remembered what he thought of the Starks and couldn't help but think if she'd ever see the Kingslayer again.

Cassana would be announced kidnapped the following morning. The ravens would fly all around Westeros of the news, especially east. She did not know what sort of lies Cersei would cook up nor could she think of a way out, a way to put things back the way they were. To the world, Ned Stark was holding her against her will, and the one place he took her from was the one place she did not want to be. _I cannot go back there. I will not. _ But she wanted no trouble for the North. She did not want her brothers hunting the Starks down. _Renly would know better. _Cersei did not know he would. He had talked to Ned and had liked the Starks. He would not believe the Lannisters, and when he united with Stannis, all would be solved. Cass held on to that thought as they rode through the cold night air.

They brought multiple banners: a stag, a wolf, and Joffrey's own lion and stag combination. _Stupid of them to change the sigil. _ As if the suspicions of Joff's birth weren't bad enough. Cass could not comprehend why they would sew a lion on his banner. A part of her was grateful for the severance from her own house, and she did not question as they flew past town guard after town guard. The North was a long journey, but this trip would be faster than her previous one to Winterfell that seemed ages ago.

Ned was in a caravan behind her and the guards. He was too sick to ride. His leg...Cass did not know if he could keep it. It was crushed and broken and infected from small cuts. _He'll die out here. _ Cass swallowed. They had already been traveling for so long and were a week away from Winterfell, in Tully land, and the Tullys were a friend of the Starks.

"Lady Cassana." The Lannister bannermen were not so bad despite what she initially thought. _You cannot judge a guard by their masters. _Their captain, Henri, was an older man with graying blonde hair that looked silver. He was an honorable man, Cass knew. He would not betray his lord, but he was not a monster either. He respected her nobility, and seemed to look at Ned Stark with nothing but pity. "I received a raven from Lord Tywin."

"Lord Tywin?" She did not know why the lord of Casterly Rock would be sending ravens to _this _party. "What does it say?"

"There is war already brewing, my lady. Robb Stark has assembled his army to get back his father and sisters. The Lannisters are fighting over their brother's false accusations and defending the crown. Lord Tywin has received word from Queen Cersei about our travels and has a host heading towards the Trident and the Green Fork, and I think we should be two days ahead of them."

Cass nodded. She wanted to go to Riverrun and give Ned Stark to a Tully maester, but with Lord Tywin Lannister's host so near, Captain Henri would not allow it. She stared at him, waiting for him to break the news to her, but he didn't. _He is waiting for my decision. _ She wondered if he really did think she was Ned's escort and not...exhiled. Cass did not want to risk asking to go to the Tullys, but she did not want to see Tywin Lannister either. She had always felt uncomfortable around that man. "We will ride before him then. Fly my king's banners, Captain Henri. I will not waste time traveling with an army, but it will be good to know the Lannisters have our back." It was hard to swallow those words.

Joffrey's banners flapped forward as they rode past the Green Fork and over the Trident. Ned had a fever, and Cass went to him most days, pretending to be tired from riding, but really soaking Lord Stark's head with cool water. He slept more and more, and she could smell the death from his leg. Cassana shuddered and sat by him, waiting for Ned to wake from his sleep. She had no milk of the poppy, and Cass wondered how Ned could go to sleep like that, so fully.

It was not too much time later that her party of ten Lannister men, her, and Ned Stark's caravan, stopped completely. There was a host ahead, but it was not Tywin's. They were out of eyesight from scouts, Captain Henri had said, and Cassana knew that they would not risk going further. "Join Lord Tywin's ranks if you like." She ordered some men to have Ned taken out and ride on horseback. _Cersei wishes to crush us here. _ She did not know how advanced this war was, that Robb was already marching, and Tywin and probably Jaime were coming to meet him. _They have no chance against the Lannister army. She means for us to die in this war. _Cassana swallowed and led Ned's horse on foot.

There was no one to hold the Stark banner for them. Their party was already retreating back, a day away from the Green Fork and Trident and their true lord. As Cass came closer, her heart was dropping. _They would not kill a maiden and a sick man, especially when they recognize him. _ But the first banners she saw were not a direwolf. They were towers, and she recognized them to be of Walder Frey, a man Robert had often spoke poorly of. There were others too...she did not know them. _They must be Northern men. _ Cass swallowed. They could shoot her down at any second, but she continued to walk towards the hordes of grey tents.

There were horses approaching, still not of the direwolf though. The banners flew four chains linked by one circle, flailing in the cold wind and light drizzle. She had no weapons to drop to show she meant no harm; so instead, she knelt down in the mud as the great man dismounted his horse and walked forward, bannermen flanking him.

"We are just passing through, my lord." Cass did not know who this man was, but he must have been a lord. "We are to Winterfell."

"Winterfell. Aye, you'll never make it there with this man." His eyes were only on Ned Stark, still unconscious with fever, and Cass could not determine if they were pleased to see him or not. Her question was soon answered, "Gods, Ned. I thought you escaped, and yet this girl leads you to your camps half-dead."

Cass stayed knee-deep in mud, not saying a word as the big man grabbed the reins of Ned's horse. He turned to her, "Who are you, girl? Your travel clothes are too fine, but you cannot be the Baratheon."

"I am she." Cass stood, still unsure if that was the right answer or not.

"Then why did you not run?" He had still not offered his name, but Cass saw he was missing two fingers on one of his hands. The gloves were flopping in those spots. "Why stay with the man who holds you hostage?"

"The Lannisters held me hostage, my good Lord." This was a northern man, Cass knew it for sure now. Cersei had sent a letter ahead, but she did not know of what. "Did the lions beg for my return? Was that it?"

"Aye."

_In case my brothers intercepted the note. _ Cersei had probably sent several ravens addressed to the Starks east instead of west. "I can explain more of your lord and mine's escape. But I am tired and need rest."

"And a good bath." He sniffed and laughed, "My apologies, my lady. I am Lord Greatjon Umber."

"Pleased to meet you." She smiled weakly. "This is the camp of the Starks then?" It was hard for her to understand that Robb had done this, that he was in charge of this all. "...is the acting Lord of Winterfell leading you against the Lannisters?"

"No, my lady." Lord Umber clearly saw her confusion and he smiled. "The King in the North leads us."

* * *

The camp was large, but she knew from all of Robert's old talks that it was nothing compared to the Lannister army. Cass walked forward, the Greatjon as he was called beside her, and another man leading Ned's horse. "Please take care of him."

Lord Umber seemed shocked that she had asked that question at all but nodded. The Starks took care of their own men. She had done her duty and Cassana sighed, her shoulders feeling lighter.

She was not, however, brought to a tent to rest, nor was she brought to bathe as the Greatjon had kindly suggested. Men escorted her to a large tent towards the back center of the camp, and Cass froze a bit before being pushed forward. "The young wolf wishes to see our guest."

_They call him that?_ She remembered herself saying the name. She meant it as a slur, but she was glad to hear Robb and his men had taken it as their own. Her breath became ragged as she approached, though she did not know why. _You're safe here. You're okay. You are no longer in the lion's den. _

They pushed the flap of furs covering the door aside for her. She had been freezing before entering the tent, the large fire in the pit providing light and so much warmth. Cass couldn't help but think of Stannis as she stared at the fire, and she wondered if they would use her here as leverage too. _You have trusted the Starks so far. _ They did not fly her banners, but she was willing to see what they wanted, what Robb wanted. Her dark eyes looked throughout the room until she spotted the auburn hair, red and deep in the light of the flames. He was turned around, holding papers over a desk, shoulders and floors and everywhere covered with thick dark furs. Men were by his side, one having the grey eyes that reminded her of Ned and the other a more familiar face—Theon Greyjoy. _Perhaps he has more loyalty to the Starks than I give him credit. _ There was one woman there too, but she was not there long. Catelyn Stark exited the tent quickly at the sight of Cassana, and the young girl felt insulted until she realized who Catelyn was running to. _She knows I bring home her husband. _Cass stomach lurched at the thought of her seeing him half-dead.

"Your Grace." The word was weird to hear from the guard leading her, addressing Robb. He bowed his head, and Cass did the same as Robb turned around to face them both.

She heard the papers drop and footprints padding across the furs, leather boots cracking and squeaking at his force and speed. Cass noticed she was shaking. The cold was gone from her body and still she was shivering. She stared at the floor and did not look up, did nothing but curtsy in front of Robb, in front of this...new king.

"Cassana Baratheon."

His voice still wavered. But there was a deeper confidence somewhere—a different confidence than the one a man should have when speaking to a lady. She followed the Stark man's example and kept her head down, "Your Grace."

"I've received word that my father took you as hostage in place of my sister. I did not believe it to be true, but tell me if I am wrong."

Still she looked down, "You are not." She stammered, "Your Grace."

Robb chuckled. That sounded the same, and soon, he said, "You all should go and see to my father. Judge his story and I will judge Lady Cassana's. We will see if they match. Do not come back in until I give word."

Theon was snickering; she recognized that too. But Cass heard all of the men leave the tent and the fur was replaced over the entrance. Robb grabbed her hand then, leading her up. His hand went to her chin, and she was forced to look at him. He...he was not clean shaven. His auburn hair had spread and expanded into a beard on his face, and his blue eyes stared at her, full of worry and confusion and a power that had not been there the last time they had met. "Cass, what happe..."

She did not let him finish before she hugged him, head falling onto his shoulder and arms wrapping around his leather jerkin and fur covered body. He smelled like the north. He smelled of snow and wolf and of all the things that had once made her feel uncomfortable, but now seemed to do the complete opposite. Robb was stunned it seemed, frozen, but soon he returned her hug with equal power. His hands rubbed her hair down, her dark, matted, dirty hair. She did need a bath, Cass realized, and she let go of Robb in fear that she smelled. Her eyes were wet but not running, and even through the misted screen, she saw Grey Wind approach, smell her, and sit. He did not growl or bark, but continued to stare at her before lying down next to Robb's feet. Cass was comforted by the wolf too even though he had grown since she had seen him last.

"I missed you." _What a stupid thing to say. _ Cass bit her lip. She was speaking to a king, like _this_. Instead of explaining how she brought home his father, she said something completely worthless, meaningless. Cass tried to recover. "It was a long journey to Winterfell from the Red Keep. Lannister men accompanied me and your father here." That was important information. Robb was in the middle of a _war_. "Lord Tywin is not but two days from here."

Robb nodded, not appearing shocked at all by Tywin Lannister. "That I know much about. But your...escape. Sansa writes from the Red Keep." Robb moved to his desk and handed Cass the letter. "It's in her hand."

_Dear Robb,_

_I miss you brother, but life in King's Landing is bearable. I wish our lord father had not committed this treason, but my betrothed has promised to allow him to take the black with his admittance, something our father has spat upon. He has escaped Robb! And I know he is coming to you. I expect you to take him in with open arms, for I do not understand your rebellion. He has stolen Lady Cassana as a hostage in exchange for me, but I am fine here and engaged to be queen. Joffrey says that he will pardon you too and Father if you come and swear fealty to him, and the dear queen has also offered Lady Cassana to you in good faith, if it please you, on your return. The Starks and Baratheons can be united twice-fold, and your marriage to Cassana will quell her brothers in the east. Please, Robb. Please consider this._

_Your Sister,_

_Sansa_

It was in Sansa's hand, but Cass saw Robb's doubt. It did not take much to force someone to write a letter. "This is not all false."

Robb seemed surprised. "It is not?"

"Most of it is, of course. Your sister is not happy, nor do I feel she is keen on her wedding to Joffrey, though she hides her disdain quite well."

"Sansa is a natural lady." Robb grimaced and Grey Wind seemed to stiffen at the last word. "What of the rest?"

"Your father did not escape, nor did Joffrey pardon him initially. I spoke to Cersei and asked for Lord Eddard's release, and she assured me that he would be pardoned and allowed to take the black as the letter suggests."

"But?"

"But Joffrey is a prick and intended on executing him instead. I..." Cass still sweated at the thought, that she could have easily been killed had her nephew or Cersei had been in any worse mood. "I told the crowd at Baelor of my late brother's will. Ned Stark was supposed to be king regent, but Cersei stopped that from becoming public. I threatened to tell everyone about...everything. Cersei could not kill me without my brothers coming for blood." _Though they already are._

Robb sat down on the furs, absorbing the information and gesturing for Cassana to follow him down. She did, and it felt good to sit on something that wasn't a leather saddle. "So she banishes you to the North instead?" He wore a goofy smile. Cass could not figure it out.

"I suppose. She has released Lord Stark to take the black and me to bait my brothers. She hopes that they will unite against you for your...kidnapping." _But Sansa's letter suggested a backup plan as well. _She was sure the ravens sent east did not hold that plan.

"Like my father and your brother did for Lyanna."

She had not thought of that. Was that what Cersei was thinking of? The thought made her even more uncomfortable. "Perhaps."

She expected more questions from Robb Stark, but they did not come right away. He stretched out, took off his gloves, and looked again at her face. "And this?" Robb touched her cheek and she flinched back. The wound from Joffrey was scabbed over but it still hurt. "What is this from?"

"My nephew." Cassana looked away. "He hit me after I stopped Ilyn Payne from executing your father."

He was angry at that. She saw his face redden until it fell to her breast, and Cass moved to cover herself, but Robb reached first, not for her body but the silver circle on top. "This seems so long ago."

She had to agree. "If I knew this was to happen, I would have told Robert to give the Hand to Stannis." Maybe things would have been better then. Hells, he could have given it to Tywin, made the Lannisters happy, and just be done with it. She had no stomach for wars and here she was sitting in a war camp. "I am sorry."

"Do not apologize. You have brought home my father, and I am indebted to you."

Neither of them made any mention of the other part of Sansa's letter, and Cass was grateful for it. "You should see him, Your Grace."

Robb smiled at Cass' last two words but quickly focused on her first few. "Is he alright?"

She did not want to lie to him. "No. He's very sick. Jaime Lannister has wounded his leg, and I'm afraid." Cass did not need to say her real worries to Robb. He seemed to understand and quickly stood up, offering his hand to help her stand.

"I will call someone to help you settle in here. You will have a tent near my mother's."

The thought of sleep excited her. "You are too kind, Your Grace."

"Alright, that was nice to hear the first few times, but it's a little unsettling hearing _you_ call me that. Unless I should call you Lady Cassana from here on out?"

She smiled at Robb, "No, Robb. I would not like that."

"Makes us out to be strangers and not best friends."

His light-heartedness reminded her of better times. Cassana smiled and looked down again. She saw her gold pin on his belt.

* * *

Her sleep did not come right away, for soon another red-headed Stark was there in her new tent. Catelyn looked aged and tired from when she last saw her, and the woman sat next to Cass on the pillows, telling the handmaiden assigned to her to go outside and see to her husband. "I wish to talk to you alone." She grabbed the hairbrush, and Cass stiffened as she felt Catelyn brush her hair. "I wanted to thank you."

"It was nothing," Cass said, feeling awkward but at the same time comforted by the action. Cass had her hair brushed by handmaidens hundreds, thousands of times, but this felt different. _Is this what having a mother is like?_ She saw Catelyn in the reflection of the mirror, looking focused on her dark locks. It was then she recalled that Catelyn Stark had raised her for two years when she was just a girl.

Lady Stark shook her head, "My husband's life is not nothing. You have delivered him back to me." Her strokes were delicate, and soon Catelyn finished and started braiding her hair. "I cannot thank you enough. I do not know how I could have dealt without him"

"I wish I could have given you your daughters too, my lady. Is Eddard okay?"

"He is very sick. The maesters are looking over him now." The braid was beautiful. Catelyn wrapped it into a bun on her head, and Cass was almost sad that she'd have to go to sleep now and ruin it. "I have spoken to Robb. He tells me Sansa's letter is mostly false."

"Yes, my lady. I fear Cersei made her write it."

"It was hard to believe my husband would do such a thing-kill Robert or take you."

"Lord Stark is one of the most honorable men I have ever met." Cass bit her lip. "It killed him to admit to a treason he has not committed. Forgive me, but I would hate it for Robb to do the same."

She nodded. "That is the question in most of our minds, Lady Cassana. What _do _you want? You are a Baratheon, but yet you are here. That is not completely by choice or am I wrong?"

"It isn't." Cass admitted. "My brothers are still alive and my allegiance is to my house. But..."

"But?"

"Even if I were to go to Storm's End or Dragonstone, I would be betraying one of them. They are feuding with each other over that metal seat." Cass sighed and she felt her fingers tighten on the furs beneath her. "I fear my house has died with Robert."

"Robb and his men are riding to battle tomorrow."

She knew that was coming, but her stomach tightened anyway, and she thought she might retch. Taking on both Lannister hosts with these few men was a death sentence."Lord Tywin's men."

Catelyn did not say anything concerning that. "I say that we discuss in detail then what you are to House Stark. It will...help us keep our minds off the battle."

She swallowed, "To House Stark?"

"Rumors say you are our hostage and others say you are our consort for the new king."

She blushed. Hearing those words from Catelyn's mouth was embarrassing. Cassana fidgeted. "I am not sure what I am. Cersei would have me be both."

"And if you want, you could be neither. You are a guest, Cassana. I promise you will always have a bed in the North, but it is your choice if you wish to lie in it. I would have it no other way." Catelyn stood up at that, leaving Cass's hair pretty and perfect. The woman moved towards the tent exit, just before saying, "But do keep in mind, my son almost gave up the Twins for you."

Cass did not know what that meant, but she was sure she would hear of it all tomorrow.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading everyone! and sorry again for the delay!

Oh, and to all the Jaime fans that miss the beloved Kingslayer, I just want to mention that she's with Robb's army. And they're fighting the Lannisters. That's it.


	10. Ties that Bind

A/N:

Hey ya'll! So, some good news and bad news. Good news is I'm posting early because of the bad news to follow. I'm going on vacay for about two weeks, which means I won't be able to post next week. So sorry! But the next part will be extra good to make up for it.

Special thanks to all my readers and reviewers as always :)

_i-need-shine _(it's my mission to make the audience as confused about Robb and Jaime as Cass is/will be), _purple sky always _(Red Wedding? What's that? Ha just kidding. It'd be such an epic scene to write, though my heart sort of hurts thinking of it), _Doreandrix _(thank you so much!), _MutiaRawr (_here's more dynamic!), _rikka21 _(oh there's more. just wait :)), _ThatGirl54_ (Girl's gotta catch some sort of break, I suppose.), _Guest _(Glad it wasn't boring!And oh my. The Baratheon Brothers. They will be a whole mess of issues ahead), and _StarkStruck11_ (yay! glad you like my writing so much!).

Disclaimer: I do not own this series at all. In fact, for some odd reason I don't understand, I didn't even own the 4th book (although the 5th I had) until today. Weird.

* * *

They rode out early or was it late? Cass had no idea what time it was. She tried to sleep through it, but the sound of men tacking their horses and the clinging of chainmail reminded her of Jaime. She rolled to her side and exhaled. _They will be fighting Jaime now. They will be hunting for his blood. _Cass remembered him in his white armor, snow colored cape flapping under him, which she wrecked whenever they'd roll in the mud if he forgot to take it off. She remembered his heavy sword and when he tried to teach it to her when she was 13 and still a girl. Cass had always dropped it or tripped. But he held it easily, with such grace and dexterity that Cass remembered thinking of how he could remove it from his arm at all. They seemed to be the same being—one beautiful and deadly thing. And then, she was suddenly afraid for Robb Stark.

It seemed hours went by before Catelyn Stark came into her tent, dressed in only her night clothes and a fur covering, and sat by her side. "Shh."

Cass wondered what she was doing, why she was holding her up like that and touching her arms. It was only when she felt the drops on her bare hands that she realized she was crying a little. She was so, so very tired. The men were still preparing, but she wondered if her wailings called Catelyn here through the noise.

"I cannot sleep either."

Cass rubbed at her face. She was a woman, not a babe. "My apologies. I have no reason..."

"Your brother has just died and the others are fighting each other for his crown." Catelyn let her go and looked at her. "You are holding yourself together just fine."

It was more than that. It was this battle too; Robb and Jaime at each other's throats, the feeling deep in her gut that one of them would end up dead in the morning. "How is your husband, my lady?"

She couldn't ask about Robb or the war or the battle. Cass stared at Catelyn who had not been expecting the question. "Much better. I brought you here to speak with him actually. How did you know to ask of him?"  
Cass didn't. Eddard Stark was a distraction to her thoughts. "Just a guess."

Lady Catelyn brought her to a standing position, had a handmaiden give her a robe, and led her to one of the medical tents. It was one of the first times she had seen Ned wholly lucid in a while, the grey in his eyes seeming brighter even here in the midst of a battle camp. Cass curtsied. She was in Stark and Tully land after all. "My lord."

"Please." Ned did not move from his seat. His leg was braced, but not gone like Cass had feared. "We are well passed formalities, Cassana."

It was then she noticed the man beside him, bent on both knees in front of his father. Theon was there too, by Robb's side, and Grey Wind. Theon had a bow on his back, and Cass remembered their time in Winterfell. _Thank the gods he's a good shot now. _ But she almost took back the statement. Where would he send those arrows? _It's Lord Tywin out there...do not even worry about that. _

"Yet I still feel like an outsider in this company," She said honestly. "Ned, I am glad to see you well. The winter maesters have much power over your body." Cass knew that was probably not the case, that he had been deprived proper medicine and nourishment for too long in King's Landing.

"I am glad to be alive. And before I leave, I wanted to thank you."

She was taken aback, "Excuse me, Lord Eddard, but you cannot possibly think of _fighting._"

But maybe he did. Maybe with his arrival, he was the new king in the North. She looked to Robb briefly, but there was no sign there. Ned answered her, "No, my place is in my keep. I am still Lord of Winterfell, and my sons need me while there mother is away."

Cass could not help but think the reverse might best serve to be true, that the younger boys needed their mother and Robb his father. Robb was still king. He had been declared by his men, Cass realized. Ned's return was wonderful, and he'd be given Winterfell back. _He did not want it. _ She saw it in Ned's eyes. _He does not want a crown. He just wants to go home_. She wondered if Robb wanted it either.

"My father has the right mind for war." Robb was reading her. He seemed to do it easily, which frightened her. "But the men do not need two leaders. He says I have left Winterfell too bare."

_Bare? _She knew Ned just wanted to go home; she could not blame him for it. But it bothered her that they were not being honest with her. "From what? Wildlings and white walkers?"

Robb hesitated. "From the shore, Cass."

Her mind immediately went to the Iron Islands and the rebellion years and years ago, but from the look of Robb's eyes, that was not the case. Her brother Stannis could easily sail the other way—not across Blackwater—but north around the Fingers and past White Harbor to Winterfell. "I see." She had to stop wasting their time. "Then yes, it is best if you march with your men the other way with the confusion of battle."

Ned nodded. "Yes, that was the plan. I thank you again, Cassana. Your help will not be forgotten."

_No, it won't. _Not from either side she feared. An old phrase rang through her head and Cass gritted her teeth, one better known than the lion's more traditional motto.

She let Catelyn say goodbye to her husband and started to move out of the medical tent. The removed flaps revealed the northerners still arming and preparing, but they were getting ready to leave soon enough. It would be any moment now that Robb would come and announce it. He would stand in the center, and march his lords and advisors and soldiers out to face the Lannisters. _Gods let them be o-_

The hand on her shoulder had her turning, and Cass grabbed it, one hand by the wrist and the other by the shoulder, waiting for the need to bend the limb back. _I am too tense_. Robb gave her a funny look even as she let go. "Um, hello?"

"I'm sorry." Cass was honest. "War makes me on edge a little."

"You nearly did the same thing in the godswood."

Cass had forgotten about that. She looked behind Robb to see Grey Wind approaching. _At least he has him. _ _The wolf will protect Robb_. Cass stood in front of him, kneading her hands. _I have no favor to give him. _ Wasn't that what she was supposed to do? Hand him a favor? A kiss on the cheek or something? But no, they were not engaged. She did not owe him anything. "I wish you luck."

He exhaled and then smiled slowly, a lazy sort of smile. Robb was still tired, and once again Cass was confused about the time though she did not ask him. He seemed heavy, burdened, and far, far too young. _He is younger than me_. She could not picture herself doing this. She was glad she would never have to. "Thank you." He turned away from her, paces quickening, but Grey Wind stayed behind.

"Robb?" Thoughts of '_what if he dies' _were suddenly spiraling, and she walked up a bit before he turned. She had kissed Jaime on the cheek—Jaime who was a king slayer and an incestuous bastard. Jaime who could carve out Robb Stark's heart with a dagger, with a _spoon_, if he were given the chance to. So Cass leaned in as Robb approached and set a kiss on his cheek, almost on the lips, and ripped off one of her rings. It was a gold band with a large, thick chunk of black stone in the center—the colors of her house. "It's obsidian." She said to his questioning eyes. "Dragonglass."

He stared at it for far too long but did not reach to take it. "I do not think it will fit."

"Here then." She removed Stannis' chain from her neck and took off Robb's ring, placing it on her right ring finger. "I couldn't...wear it before, not in the Red Keep, but here I can. I will."

"No, you wore it every day." He picked up the chain and examined it, and Cass grasped his meaning. "I already have your pin."

She could see the gold on his belt. "And I want you to have this."

"It was your mother's..."

"And she's never going to wear it again," Cass said. _Why doesn't he just take it? _ She stepped back. "If you don't want it..."

"No!" Robb nearly shouted, causing some men to look at him. At a new thought, Robb nearly laughed. "I have nothing to give you except fur."

_You have given me enough already. _ Had he not seen that? He had given her a place to stay while the Red Keep pushed her out, while her brothers were at each other's throats. Cass took the chain from his hands and laced the ring on it, clasping the hook after putting it around Robb's neck. _His hair is so curly. _She touched it briefly, gently, hoping he wouldn't notice, and then said behind him, "Just come back. That is more than enough."

Robb was then brought to his horse, no more words exchanged between them. Cass turned around and went back into the tent, where Catelyn was still saying goodbye to Ned. "Oh, Cassana. Come, follow me." She gave her husband one last kiss and then brought Cass away from the medical tent.

It was unusual for a woman to be in war tents, but Catelyn Stark did not seem bothered by it. She led Cass easily, navigating the grey billows of cloth like she had been there for years. _Weeks probably._ She wondered how Robb's men first responded to him toting around his mother. But Catelyn was privy to politics and war. She had lived through multiple already.

Her tent was close to Robb's but not nearly as big. But like her king's, the floors and walls were covered with deep furs. The fire inside was unlit, but Catelyn soon called over a servant to light and boil tea for them. "Are you hungry?"

_Starving_. "Yes, actually." She couldn't remember the last time she could relax and eat a meal. She still couldn't relax and eat this meal, but she took it anyway, the oats steaming with crushed berry juice spilling through the warm milk. It was delicious because it was warm and not dried bread like she had been eating these past weeks. Cass ate the oats and grains, sucked down the milk, and set the bowl aside. She had a burning question on her mind, though she already thought she knew the answer. "Does Robb intend to take the Iron Throne?"

Catelyn looked up from her own meal for she had not scoffed it down quite as heartily. "No, Cassana. He does not."

Her confusion was blatant, obvious. Cass' mouth fell open a bit, but she tried to convince Lady Stark that that was only because she was about to drink some tea. "Oh." _Then why is he fighting this war? Is this all for his sisters?_

She was too cruel, maybe. She knew the Tully's words. _Family. Duty. Honor_. But she did not see herself sending all of these men out to die for two people. Cass, though, would never utter those words to Catelyn.

"I suppose I just assumed that he..."

"The North still seeks its independence," Catelyn explained. "Robb and his men want sovereignty for all the lands above the neck."

_And that is nearly half of the kingdom. _ "And he plans to negotiate this with Joffrey one day?" Cass knew it would be more likely that Joff would just order his head.

"No, your brothers."

There was that. There were her two brothers out there, and her shoulders relaxed a bit that Robb did not intend on fighting them. If she were honest with herself, she'd admit that she didn't want Robb fighting the Lannisters either. Jaime...Jaime had done some horrible things, unquestionably disgusting and beyond what Cass had ever expected of him. But he was still Jaime. He was arrogant and cruel—a killer in his own words. _But not to me. _ Cass was ripping out bits of fur from the blanket on her knees. _He has only looked out for me. _ Didn't she owe the same to him?

Joffrey was a different story, and she doubted now that she'd bat an eyelash if she saw his head on a spike. Her hands strayed to the marks on her cheek, and she regretted not choking him. "Sorry." Catelyn had been looking at her. She must have been in her own head for too long. "I'm glad for that." There would be no viable reason why either of her brothers would want the North besides vanity and pride.

"Does that help you, Cassana?"

She nodded, even though she still felt the ache in her chest, the heavy weight of stress burdening her heart. "It is good to know there is a chance my house will not be at war with you...as long as my brothers do not believe the Lannister's lies."

"I plan on meeting with your brother soon."

Cass' attention peaked. "Which one?"

"Lord Renly's camp at first, but I plan on speaking to both of them before..."

"Oh." Cass cut her off, not wanting to hear it. The knots in her gut tightened at that, at thinking Cersei's plan may not have failed completely but just in the wrong way. Her brothers were not going after Joffrey—not until they got rid of each other first.

"I'm trying to convince them to form an alliance." Catelyn refilled her cup of tea with more hot water. "You can join me if you wish."

_I can go home?_ For the past month or so, that was all Cass had wanted. She thought King's Landing was her home, but King's Landing had turned on her. Renly had escaped in time, and she asked herself daily whether she made the right choice staying put for Ned Stark. _I did. _ She looked at Catelyn's face. _He might be dead now otherwise. _"I...I don't know." The answer from her mouth surprised even her.

"You can stay in Highgarden if you wish. The Tyrell's are backing your brother. I think you'd be safe there."

"But what if he doesn't agree? What if he wants to fight you still?" _And Stannis. What will I do if he still wishes to fight him?_

Catelyn narrowed her eyes, "And you would choose our house over your own?"

_No. I have no more house to choose, don't you see? _ "If Renly refuses your alliance, he's being selfish." Cass knew that. It was what she was afraid of. "Stannis and he do not get along; they will be selfish with each other too. I know your children. If this were Robb and Bran, there would be no question of an alliance, but my brothers are very different. I can't go to one and stand idly as he fights the other."

"I cannot believe it would come to that. Surely they are reasonable? Stannis is a known soldier, and your younger brother has been Master of Laws for years now."

Catelyn didn't understand. She didn't have the experience of her family. The Starks and Tullys would fight, die for their family—she knew that. She was standing in the evidence of that right now. "The Baratheon children were once described as metals by our old smithy." She rolled one of the rings on her finger. "He said Robert was true steel. Shining, tough—a good soldier, a _great _one."

"There are many tales of your late brother as a fighter, Cassana."

She knew that. This man, she thought Donal was his name, knew all of them too well. "He said Stannis was iron. He's strong but brittle. Pure iron is black and falls apart with time. Renly's copper—pretty but not much other than that. They resent that of each other, but they also see it as their way to the crown. Stannis knows Renly cannot run a country, and Renly knows that the people will not follow Stannis. I am afraid, Lady Catelyn, that if I show up in one of their camps, I will have choosen between iron and copper." _I rather hide here. I rather be a hostage to the Starks. _

"What are you?"

Cass sipped her tea, letting the warmth slide down into her bones. "I'm sorry?"

"Did he describe you, Cassana?"

She didn't want to mention that. Donal did describe her, but not to her face ever. "He said I was gold. That I was soft, malleable, and only good for currency." Her eyes met Catelyn's. "Robert knew that. I think that's why he waited so long to marry me off. He was...looking for the best price." The other words bothered her. Was she soft because she was a woman? Was she malleable because she would choose to stay here, under Stark banners, than go back to her own?

"Marriage is a funny thing."

The men were gone now. Catelyn had said they would talk about what she was to House Stark. Perhaps she intended on talking about her becoming a part of it. She shivered and coughed. "Is it? I am inexperienced."

Catelyn ignored her defensive remark. "I was supposed to marry Ned's brother, Brandon."

_And my brother was supposed to marry Lyanna. _ Cass thought that this great mess could have been prevented if he had. "I learned of his death, Lady Catelyn. I am sorry."

She waved the apology aside. "I thought for a moment that was it for me. I did not know Brandon well, but I knew the Stark name. Littlefinger tried fighting for my hand, did you know that?"

"I did not." _I certainly did not. _Though she thought Renly had known. _Why would Ned ever trust that man? _ "But then Ned married you, right before he went to war."

"He gave me my own keep and son. I did not think I would have been so lucky to love him too." Catelyn stared at the fire. "I can't picture it now. If Brandon had lived, seeing Ned every day and having it mean nothing. It was all circumstance, but it was right, Cassana."

Cass didn't mince words. "Is marrying your son circumstance?"

She didn't seem to want to answer the question. "Getting Lord Walder Frey to give his banners and let us cross the Twins is hard. He is my father's bannerman, but I am sure you have heard of his reputation."

Yes, she had. Hearing about the Frey's late arrival to battle was almost laughable to Cass. She did not understand how someone could lack such loyalty to their own lord. "Did Robb speak to him?"

"As a Tully, I thought it best if I spoke with him. He agreed to our crossing if I agreed to make one of his daughters a queen."  
Her throat suddenly became dry. And Catelyn's statement to her the night before only made her palms sweaty. She twisted the ring on her finger. "Robb said no." It wasn't posed as a question at all. Cass knew he did.

"He refused the offer and said we would have to find another way to cross the Trident."

"But Frey's banners are here. I saw the towers."

Catelyn frowned. "We had to cross the Twins to be here in time. I told Robb that if he wanted to reject the offer from Lord Frey, he would need to personally and give a damn good reason."

There was really only one damn good reason Cass could think of that would involve Robb's mother not knowing. "He said he was promised to another."

"Yes, he did. I thought that would be the end. That our army would have to return and my husband and girls would be lost. But Robb instead made Frey a deal to get rid of two of his daughters to my youngest sons."

"Two princesses instead of a queen."

"Precisely."

That was a lot of work and risk just to avoid a marriage. Catelyn believed it was too. Her face seemed pointed, accusatory, and Cass admitted, "I've made no secret promise with your son."

"I know you two have spent time in Winterfell alone."

"I can assure you it was innocent." She felt almost angry. "I guard my honor better than that."

Her blue eyes were looking at her hand, the ring on her finger, and Cass stiffened. _She thinks we're already betrothed? _ No, that wouldn't have made sense. Yes, Catelyn was courteous to her, but she always had been. And she would not suggest that Cass leave if she already promised herself to the man here. _I brought home her husband and risked getting killed. I chose to stay here over returning to my brothers. _Family was the first word to the Tullys. Family was above everything, and Catelyn was trying to make sense of Cass' decisions when they were still so unclear to Cass herself.

"I do not mean to offend you, Cassana. I also trust my son's honor."

Cass said nothing. She wondered if she did approach Robb, her or maybe another, more beautiful girl, if he would be so honorable. She swallowed at the thought and shifted on the furs. "Cersei would not throw me here if she thought it was what I wanted. You said it was my choice what I am to you."

"I did."

"I do not wish to be a hostage here, but...I also do not wish to promise something I am not sure I can keep."

"But you do not wish to come with me? To be honest, it was not my plan to go as Robb's envoy."

Catelyn Stark did not understand what Cass was thinking. This was a war camp. It was stupid, silly, but she didn't want to see her brothers fighting over the crown and then wake up one morning to one of them coming back from battle, red staining his armor from spilling his own blood. Winterfell was there. Winterfell was a place she was welcomed to. It was safe, but still she felt hesitation.

Catelyn took her hand suddenly, looking at the ring closely—the direwolf smoothly engraved in the silver. "I will not lie and say that I don't want you to marry Robb. It will bind an alliance with the Baratheons, but I am not your mother. Nor do I want to force you to marry my son. He deserves more than that."

He did. Cass knew it. _Though if Dolan is right I should be so lucky. _ "I think that's why I want to stay here."

Catelyn let her hand go, "I can have you go to Winterfell or when my son is back, we can make our way to Riverrun."

Cass knew she would make that suggestion concerning Winterfell. Riverrun never became a possibility in her mind. To Cass, most of this conversation was moot. The Lady Stark could not leave now to find her brother in Highgarden for the Lannisters were on the way. And Cass was sure the Lannister host would only come closer and closer, swallowing them whole. _Will Tywin send me back to King's Landing? _ _Or will he just kill me? _ She looked to Catelyn. Even if she loved Robb, she could not promise herself to him like this now, not when she may never see him alive again. "Perhaps we should...wait before we make any further decision."

The red headed woman across from her looked as if she wanted to leave at that statement for it suggested something dark and nightmare like. But instead, Catelyn pulled a crocheting item from the side of where she was sitting. _She's staying here. _Cass accepted a second wooden frame that Catelyn had. Even if this was needlework, she welcomed the distraction and the company that came with it.

* * *

A/N:

Lots of talking. It's all a setup, I swear.

Sorry that I am going to be MIA, but I'll have a nice juicy chapter to come back with.

Thanks everyone!


	11. To the Victor

A/N:

Oh vacation. Not only did it delay my posting but I also came back to learn I missed the Red Wedding and now have to somehow force myself to watch it. Eh.

Well, thanks to everyone who kept reading and reviewed while I was gone :D I still really, really appreciate it and makes my day!

Special thanks to reviewers from last post:

_MutiaRawr _(Aw, I missed posting! And I hope this makes up for it!), _Aeryan_ (Yes, Robb or Jaime..this is my problem exactly. Stupid Freys. I still hate them. Even if they still don't do anything in this story), _Allimba_ (thanks!), and _cute__penname_ (I am updating now! I hope that is soon).

Disclaimer: I do not own this series in the slightest.

* * *

It was loud.

Cass stirred on the floor. She was sleeping on furs in her own tent when she heard the sound of hooves and metal. Catelyn had left her tent hours ago, though to Cass the conversation felt like days. She had an uneasy sleep and her head hurt. Torches shone through the grey cloth, and she threw her body up, hugging her knees to her chest. People were yelling. It was an orchestra of incoherent shouts and strong, tired voices. But the air was filled with excitement, tense with pressure, and she didn't know what banners flew outside.

_It's okay. It'll be okay._

She changed first. Cass was sleeping in her underclothes, but she quickly put on a grey dress over them. Catelyn had given it to her after Cass had bathed and became frustrated with her crocheting. It was a simple dress, very plain with silver embroidering on the high laced-up neckline. She had been given a few other dresses as well, but the coverage over her breasts made this choice easy. Cass was a maiden in a camp full of soldiers. _If Jaime were here, I wouldn't have to worry._

But no. She didn't want Jaime to be here. That would mean Robb was captured or...

"The King in the North!"

The cheer caught her off guard. Jaime wouldn't be here. Neither would Tywin Lannister or any other Lannister soldier who wasn't a simple prisoner of war. _How did they win? _ Cass dared to walk towards the entrance, listening to them shout again, "The King in the North!"

The yells continued on and on as the men walked back to their tents to collapse or rally again in celebration. Cass stayed by the fur covered door. There would be lots of drinking and sex. _That's what Robert loved about war. _And even though these were northern men and she was not their enemy, she did not want to leave the tent.

But it did not take too long for someone to enter.

When she heard the leather boots approaching and the slurred, deep speech that came with them, Cass moved her body to the side of the door, back against the fur covered cloth. As the flap lifted, she remained silent, seeing, maybe, that this was someone who did not mean her any harm before she would do anything. But even though she recognized this man, Cass remained on her toes.

"What are you doing here, Theon?"

Theon Greyjoy jumped back, obviously not knowing she had slipped behind him. His bow and arrows were gone, but Cass knew he hadn't changed or bathed since battle. Whatever armor he was wearing was off, but his leather jerkin was ripped. There were stains on the rest of his clothes, and Cass wondered if it was water or blood.

"Gods, why are you over there?"

Cass didn't answer the question. "What are you doing here?"

"That's it? No congratulations for keeping the lions from dragging you back to King's Landing?"  
Cass bit her lip. He was right. Her defenses fell. "Are you hurt?" _Is Robb hurt? _ She was confused why Theon was here, that if any man were to casually visit her, it would be Robb Stark and not him. "I'm sorry. All the noise before..."

"Thought it might wake you up."

"I didn't know who would be coming back," Cass said carefully, though Theon seemed reasonable about it and not offended. "I was a little nervous."

Theon grunted and laid out on one of the small chairs. "There are much easier cunts to be getting in these places, _Lady _Cassana."

He was drunk, Cass knew, but Theon's comment rang true. "I suppose that's...good to hear."

"Don't worry though. Robb's never liked the idea of that. I think he has the stupid idea that he'd have to marry them after he fucks them."

She felt the hair on her arms bristle. "He's alright though?"

Theon nodded. "I said I would get him a surprise. I think he thought I meant the wine..." He jostled an open bottle that Cass hadn't noticed before. "He'll forgive me for drinking some, though, if you come with me."

"To see Robb?"

Theon stood. "Yes. You're not that tired are you?"

"No." Cass moved out of the tent before Theon could come up to her. He wasn't expecting her to agree so readily, but Cass would feel safer not alone. And she wanted to see Robb. "…Can I have a drink first?"

Theon smirked and handed her the bottle. "No cups. Just take a good, long swig. Maybe two or three. That's right."

She handed the bottle back to him after the wine swam down her throat. It felt nice even though it was a cheap one. Not from the Arbor like Robert always had, but she drank it anyway, wholeheartedly, before following Theon out.

The men outside barely looked at her, but Theon was still by her side as they walked deeper into the camp. The guards outside of Robb's tent, however, did stare at her closely, and then turned to Theon. "Don't worry." Theon handed her the bottle back where she took another sip. The lack of food and sleep must have made her head start to swim. Theon had that stupid smirk on his face again. "Remember, he'll marry you afterwards." And pushed Cass through the fur flaps.

She dropped the bottle as she was pushed through, and it rolled across the rugs, not cracking or opening. Cass stumbled to get it and then stumbled again to stand seeing Robb stare at her from a set of chairs only feet away. She flushed and dusted off her skirt before looking at him.

He was exhausted looking. Bags hung under his blue eyes like deep shadows, and his skin was pulled tight over his cheekbones, red hair looking prickly and uneven. His sword lay lifelessly on one of the furs, bloodstained and unattended. Robb was not alone though. Grey Wind was next to him and turned to look at Cassana.

"Cass!" Robb stood up and Grey Wind followed him. The direwolf seemed equally as exhausted, Cass noted. "What are you doing here? Why are you awake? You should go back and…"

"Here." She held out the bottle to him and Robb took it. "Theon said he wanted to give you a surprise? I suppose he's sorry he began without you. I can go out and get..."

He interrupted her and dragged her to his chest after dropping the bottle on the ground. Cass stiffened, until she felt his arms hold her tightly, hugging her body, his breath hitting her neck as Robb just stood there, not saying a word.

"It's okay." Cass rubbed his back. His shoulders were high, his muscles hard and tight. Cassana felt his chest rise and fall against her, and she pushed her fingers through his auburn hair. _He's too young for this, _Cass thought again. She knew how her brother loved war. She knew he was a fighter, a knight, but she and Robb were children of summer. She and Robb were both scared and the Stark words hit her hard as his grip tightened. _Winter may be coming, but war is already here. _"Robb?"

"I'm...sorry." Robb's voice was low, deep, and he edged back from her and turned around. "Where are my manners?" He picked up the bottle and jostled it. Robb grabbed two metal goblets from his desk and poured the red wine. "Do you want wine?"

"Yes." She took it from him and gulped the red liquid down, her throat and nerves still thirsty. Some of it ran down her mouth, and Robb's thumbs wiped it away. She flushed. "You should be sleeping too."

"Ha." He finished the whole glass. "I cannot sleep this close after a battle. It's…difficult to calm down."

"Robb..." Cass saw the cuts over his face, but instead approached Grey Wind, setting her glass down and grabbing another cup and a pitcher full of water. "It's okay." His brown fur was matted with blood. _He's hurt._

She saw no fabric around, so Cass tore at the edge of her dress and dabbed the grey fabric into the water. _I hope Lady Catelyn was not expecting this back. _ The wolf flinched as she pressed against him, wiping the wet blood to reveal a shallow cut. "You must have fought bravely." She was speaking to Grey Wind and Robb simultaneously, though only one of them answered.

"I owe him my life several times over."

Cass wiped the blood off. The wound was not deep and already beginning to scab over. Grey Wind licked it when she dipped the rag again into the water. "They must fear you—the Lannister men." She was still speaking to both of them, and she stroked Grey Wind's nose. "Though right now I can't imagine you being so fierce."

"Cassana?"

"You're cut too." She pointed to a spot above his eye and grimaced thinking about how close the blade must have been to his face. "Who did that to you?"

"My mother must have talked to you."

She approached him again. "Robb, I..."

"You'll want to see your brothers, I'm assuming."

_Oh._ She had thought he meant to talk to her about marriage, though why her mind immediately went to that she could not say. "She seemed quite surprised when I told her just the opposite."

He gaped for a minute, scratched his hair, and then took off his leather gloves, throwing them aimlessly on the floor. "Then you'll go to Winterfell after my father. I'll send some of my men to..."

"Or I'll go to Riverrun with your host."

"No."

Cass grunted. "You cannot order me to..."

"I am a king," Robb said easily. "You will respect my wishes. You should go to Winterfell if you do not wish to go with my mother."

_You are not my king. _ She respected Robb, but Robert was her king. Robert would always be. Cass didn't back down. "I want to go with you."

"No," Robb was adamant. "It is not safe. We were lucky today, but if the Lannisters come to pay their debt..."

"You will be dead and I will not know it," She said sharply. She could not just sit back and wait, but Robb looked too determined. He would send her to Winterfell—she knew that—unless she could try and convince him otherwise in a different manner. She rolled the ring on her finger. A part of her could not help but smile at this Robb, this commanding authoritative Stark that she had never seen in Winterfell. His eyes showed a fierceness, a challenge, and Cass made an attempt to face it."Can you understand why I wouldn't want that?"

Robb didn't say anything. He turned away, too tired to argue. "I don't know what Theon was thinking. I do not have time to speak about this. I need to plan our next step."

Cass agreed. This was the least important thing that Robb should have on his mind, but she would not be sent away to her fighting brothers or Winterfell. She would not leave him like this."Fine, but could you answer something first?"  
"What?"

She bit her lip, wanting to take another sip of wine before asking, "Why did you refuse Lord Frey?"

Robb stiffened, then inhaled. "A girl told me once that I shouldn't make promises I wasn't sure I could keep."

"They why are you turning me away?" She walked up to him, setting a hand on his shoulder. "I have not known you long, Robb Stark, but I want to come with you. You said you wanted to travel this world, and that girl also told you that you should not do it alone."

Robb looked flushed, uncomfortable. He poured himself more red wine and began to drink. "And you want to do it with me?"

"Yes." The words were slipping out. "If you'd have me."

His eyes grew at that, blue and deep and wide. He started pacing, and Grey Wind was following him, pink tongue lopping out of his mouth. "Cassana Baratheon," Robb stopped and looked at her. "Are you suggesting that we..."

"Let me be honest." Cass was not sure she was making the right decision. She remembered her words to Catelyn before, but she could not stay idle for long. Her brothers would be at war, and Robb Stark had just defeated Tywin Lannister's army. And where would she be? Sitting in a winter keep waiting for someone to steal her and drag her to a different camp? _I will not be an idle figure._ That was exactly what Cersei wanted, but Cass would not do it. _I will not be a simple piece in these games_ . Cass remembered what Jaime had said to her. Tyrion would want her to marry someone worthy of her—a good match. Cersei would suggest her to be queen. _And Robert. Robert loved the Starks. _ "My brothers are at war with one another. Cersei thought they'd come after you, but I am not as valuable as a crown."

Robb said nothing to this.

"She sent me here as your hostage or consort. But I have no desire to sit in chains."Cass looked down, exhaled, and looked at him again. It was somehow easier to look at him. "Robb Stark, if you want me, please say so. If you refused Walder Frey to marry me instead, then I wish to know it." Cass walked closer and touched his face, "Please, Ro..."

He moved in and kissed her, dragging her closer and closer to his thick leather clothes, pressing his chapped lips against her own. Cass didn't know what to do. She had never...kissed anyone before, never been this close to a man unless she was training with Jaime. She broke away quickly, touching her lips and feeling how warm and wet they were, and before Robb could even begin to mouth an apology, Cass grabbed his wrist and connected their lips again. She still didn't know what to do, and Robb seemed equally as confused but much more passionate. His hands moved to her cheek and then her hair, the left one staying as the right stroked its way down her neck until it rested on the small of her back.

Cass could feel her spine shiver, feel his rough hands carve across the fabric of her dress, pressing it firm and flat so that he could touch her body. And she began to feel the same way. Cass touched his beard. "This feels like rough cotton."

"Does it?" He was flushed, heavy breathing hitting her in the face. "Want me to shave?"

"No." She shook her head and her hands went to his leather jerkin, noticing briefly that her chain and ring were not around his neck. She shrugged that off, not asking and instead concentrating on his clothes. _Their outfits are just as complicated as our own_. But her hands were deft with laces and it was soon untied. Cass didn't know what she was doing. All this talk of war, all the shouts and wine must have gone to her head for she did not care that she was undressing Robb Stark. She did not care that she had practically proposed to this man, this man who months and months ago seemed only a boy looking for adventure. _Catelyn fell in love with Ned. _She did not know how she felt about Robb. Love was strong. Love was scary and risky, and to be honest, she could not think of one marriage that was first made out of love and not advantage.

_Robert loved Lyanna and looked how that turned out. _  
The thought only seemed to stir her on. His jerkin was on the floor. Cass bit her lip as she felt the thin, white cloth underneath her fingers, watched as Robb stared at her dress's neckline and moved his fingers to its own lace. Cass grinned, surprising herself. "Where is your honor, King Robb?"

Robb touched her collarbone, "I think I've held onto it long enough." He continued to push away the laces, but then froze as he heard the flaps to his tent open. Cass spun around, red and embarrassed, and started covering herself up. Robb's undershirt was loose, hanging out of his pants, but he did not move to fix it.

The man at the door was stuttering, "My...a-apologies, Your Grace."

"What is it?" Robb's voice wasn't too snappy. He seemed upset, yes, but he held his chin high. _He is a king to these men first. _

"It's our prisoner."

Cass turned back around after lacing herself, the buzz and heat in her head immediately going away. She could curse herself. _Where is _your_ honor? _ She moved to the back of the room timidly, Grey Wind following her. She picked up her old goblet and started drinking the wine again as Robb asked, "What of him?"

Now he sounded annoyed, and the northern soldier shrunk back. "He is giving some of our men a hard time."

"He is in chains. What can he do?"

"He says he will not stop banging them against the bars until you come and speak to him."

Robb cursed in a whisper, started walking out, but then turned back to Cassana. "I will come back. I'm sorry."

Cass shrugged. She was more concerned about the soldier now staring at her, the soldier that saw them start to... "Alright, Your Grace." _Maybe he doesn't know me._

Robb looked confused but left, pointing to the soldier to stay there in his tent with Cass. The man was rubbing his hands together, and Cass lounged on the chair, not caring that her dress's skirt was approaching too far up her leg. "Who are ya?"

The soldier looked at her briefly and then turned away. "Maven, my lady."

She sniffed and pretended to cough. Whores, from what she knew, always seemed to be coughing. "Do ya know who I am?" _Gods, I hope this works. _

"No, my lady."

"I'm _no_ lady. I can tell ya that much." She suddenly remembered Jaime scolding her for talking like a peasant. A chill went down her spine at the thought. "Ya said the king has a prisoner causing so much trouble. How can one man do that?" _They don't take "peasants" as prisoners. They take lords and knights. _ Cass drank more of the wine.

"Because he's not just a man, girl." The soldier was suddenly insulted. "He's the Kingslayer."

Her goblet fell on the ground, and Cass felt the warmth drain from her face—all the blood and fluid and life falling to pieces in her body until they seemed to puddle in her heart. _Jaime's here? _ Her composure fell. Cass fumbled and moved her skirt down and stared at the soldier guarding her here. She suddenly no longer wanted to be in Robb Stark's tent. "Look, Maven. I don't want to be around any Kingslayer. Let a lady go?"

"You're not a lady."

The flap to the tent opened again, and Cassana cringed as she saw Catelyn. She had spoken to her son already it seemed, for it did not seem like she was looking for him. It also seemed like she expected Cass to be here. "Lady Cassana, may I speak with you?"

She smiled awkwardly towards Maven, casually let the hem of her skirt fall back down, and followed Catelyn outside. The men were still drunk and shouting, but there was silence as she passed them, and she remained equally unaffected. To her surprise, however, Cass was brought back to the entrance to her own tent. She didn't know what to say. The shame was coming back two-fold. "I...was just seeing how your son was."

Catelyn raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's very kind of you. Do you know why my son was dragged away from his tent?  
_Yes. _ "No."

Catelyn swallowed. "One of our captives is Jaime Lannister."

Hearing it like that, his name from her mouth laced with disdain, made Cass feel uncomfortable, unwelcomed suddenly in the Stark camp. She said the only thing that could come to her mind at the time, "Why didn't Robb kill him?"

"He's worth more to us alive." Theon Greyjoy was coming out from her tent. He seemed much more sober than he was before, the hilt of his belted sword in his hand and not the bottle. "He challenged Robb openly on the battlefield-one on one combat. Robb refused."

"Robb's not an idiot," Cass said simply. There was no way the King in the North could win that fight. "Why were you in my tent, Theon?"

Catelyn stepped in again, "I'm leaving soon for Highgarden, Lady Cassana. You are still welcome to come with me."

"And I'm to Winterfell and then to Pyke, most likely, once Robb finally decides to send me as his envoy."

_He's sending you back to Pyke? _ Cass reminded herself that she did not know Theon as well as Robb did. "And I am staying here or going to Riverrun. Lady Catelyn, I doubt you are leaving so early before seeing your lord father again."

"No, I am not. But I will not lie to you. Now that we have captured the Kingslayer, a deal could be made with King's Landing for my daughters. I can understand if you have changed your mind about being around this camp."

Cass wasn't sure if that really changed anything, if the small council would agree to give back Sansa, and an Arya they didn't have, all for Jaime Lannister. _Cersei would. _ Cass fidgeted and turned away from Catelyn. She...she wanted to see Jaime. As strange as that was, she wanted to look him in the eye, accuse him of those things she knew were true, and try to find some reason behind it. _I won't though. _ _I don't have the courage to ask him about that._ _Nor do I have the courage to wait in Winterfell or face my brothers. _

That was it, she realized. She was afraid to go back home, to pick a side, to be so cemented to something that she was not sure would work out in the end. She wanted to be on the winning side and the right side and the side of the people she loved, but all of those were scattered. All of those things did not coincide, and she could not pick between brothers.

"I will stay with your son." Cass had already promised Robb she would. She could not go back on that.

Catelyn surprisingly smiled at this. "Then I am done convincing you. If your brothers ask, I will tell them you are well."

She didn't think that Catelyn should lie to a Baratheon, but she nodded and went back into her tent to be alone and try to sleep again.

* * *

In the morning, Robb came to see her. He was shaken looking, seeming nervous, and Cass watched as he paced through her room before grabbing a trunk. "No one has told you to pack?"

"None of this is really mine." Cass had a few borrowed dresses and brushes but that was it. "Robb?" She walked towards him, and he inched away, an uncomfortable look in his blue eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Noth..." Robb paused. "Can I sit?"

Cass smiled. "A king does not need to ask for my permission." She gestured to a chair.

Robb surprisingly did not sit down at her words. "Perhaps that's how your brother saw it, but my father and mother were always equal in this sense." He pointed to a chair by Cass and she sat, stunned by his words. It was only after she sat that he followed her down and began, "Tell me that I should not trust Lannister lies."

"You should not." Casss bit her lip. He had been talking to Jaime. "What did the Kingslayer say to you?"

His eyes grew at her question. "So you knew he was here?"

Cass nodded. "Yes."

"And you do not wish to see him?"

She stiffened, not really understanding where that question came from. Cass did want to see Jaime, but Robb wouldn't understand it. _She _didn't understand it. "Maybe only to figure out what he has said to you."

"Yes." Robb smiled, laughing at himself. "Of course. And you're right. These things aren't yours. When we're in Riverrun, I'm sure my grandfather has some clothes and things you can more permanently keep."

She would like to feel settled. Although she had not been in the war camp for long, she was already getting tired of it. She did not know how Catelyn managed. "I would like that."

"My mother will leave soon after for Highgarden and hopefully talk to one of your brothers to agree to our..." he blushed. "I suppose I should ask you properly first, shouldn't I?"

"I'm under the impression I already asked _you_, Robb." She smiled nervously, wringing her hands together. Was it just hours ago that she was ready to undress him completely? To give herself to him? Cass was suddenly hesitant, but her words still stood as they did before. "Where's Grey Wind?"  
"Outside," Robb said clearly, with pure conviction even though he couldn't have known _exactly_ where Grey Wind was. "We're leaving for Riverrun in a few hours. You can ride by me, Cass."

"Are you taking Jaime with you?" She internally cursed. She should not have used his name. He was notJaime to Robb, just the Kingslayer. He was the man who fucked his own sister and killed Robb's father's men. Nothing more.

Robb didn't comment on her choice of name. "He'll be brought to a cell there, yes. But Cass?"  
"What is it?"

"He's...he's being unmanageable. Some of my men are afraid to approach him. He knows you're here."  
_How? _ Her blood ran cold. She was hoping Jaime would never find out anything about her and her connection with the Starks. It was a ridiculous notion, of course, but it was disappearing when she realized what Robb wanted her to do. "You wish for me to speak to Jaime Lannister now?" She shook her head. "Do you not remember what the Lannisters could have done to me? What they _will_ do to me when they find out about our...arrangement?" _Jaime will go insane._

"I know." He leaned forward in the chair across from her and grabbed her hand, rubbing it gently, but all Cass could feel was the coarseness of his leather gloves. "I did not want to ask you. Theon thinks it may help though. Jaime threatened to kill the first man who drags his chains. I have good men watching him, and I cannot afford to lose anymore."

It was a simple request, really. Robb thought she had some hold over Jaime Lannister, which was ridiculous, but Cass would try for him. Perhaps it was worth the embarrassment of confronting this man again if there was a slight chance Jaime wouldn't kill the first man who touched him. _He would too, gods know. _ "Would you like me to speak to him now?"

He nodded. "Grey Wind will go with you. Do not go inside the cage, Cass." Robb stood up and dragged her up with him, kissing her cheek. "It's for your own safety."

Cass nodded and touched the spot where his lips met her skin. The hard grip of Jaime's hands around her neck came to her head, the metal dagger at her throat, the force weighing her body down as he straddled her.

She would most certainly not go in that cage.

* * *

A/N:

Guess who's coming back next chapter? yeah, it's a really hard question

Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment. Hope this was worth the wait.


	12. Bad Dreams

A/N:

This is my penance for long waits. Expect normal posting here on out :D

It's also an award for my lovely reviewers! (I swear if I get a hundred, I may burst).

_FollowtheSun22 _(ah thanks! and here it is!), _Befham _(from ch1. I'm glad her being his sister is a fresh start! Daughter sounds way too risky with a ms. Cersei Lannister, And feel better!), _MutiaRawr_ (Hehe, well here he is :D), _Lawsy89 _(Ah, it's great to know you're liking Cass! Though she may be doing some stupid things soon), _100MonkeyGirls_ (Stick around Team Jaime :D ...past this one though. And your English is pretty good, so don't worry. Much better than my French, anyway), _CeliaSingsSongs _(I will keep updating :D and Thanks!), _Aeryan _(Haha, I just couldn't picture Robb doing it. Poor Robb. I'm making him a bit more of a puppy than a Young Wolf, but I think I don't mind.), _Guest _ (4000's short? Huh, well this one's longer! My longest yet, so I hope that's better :D), _Like-a-Slasher-Film _(Definitely not as long! And their interaction is...interesting.), _SeerStormborn _(Thanks! And I couldn't wait to write him again. He's too much fun), and _honor is a horse _(I have a couple of twists in my back pocket. And I guess my only defense-not that it matters-is that she knew Jaime for her whole life, where as Robb...well she didn't. But the scale will even out shortly. That I can promise, though maybe not in this one).

I'm loving all this feedback. All of it. Thank you guys so much again.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Game of Thrones_, _A Song of Ice and Fire, _or anything else like that.

* * *

Grey Wind followed her every step, like a shadow, as she followed some other guard to where the prisoner was. Robb did not come. He was organizing some groups to help pack up camp so that they could leave soon, but Cass knew he wouldn't have (and shouldn't have) accompanied her anyway. There were too many guards stationed outside the makeshift cell, too many for one man. There were other cells further away with lesser men together, but Cass did not recognize them besides their blonde hair. They were most certainly Lannister men, but she remained focused.

The direwolf by her side was the only evidence she needed that Robb had sent her. _Or maybe they know I'll be their queen one day? _ The thought sent panic through her. If the guards here knew, then Jaime would too. But they seemed to move away more because of the wolf than her, and Cass breathed before approaching the makeshift bars that separated her from the man inside.

He was sitting on the ground, in his own filth, head down and hair shaggy. A beard was already starting to grow over his cheeks, and he reminded her of Ned Stark back at the Red Keep. She briefly thought how everything was a manner of perspective, how she could have easily pitied this man here instead of Ned. And there was something in her chest, something that could have been pity but felt completely different. She didn't know what it was, really. "Jaime."

He didn't stir, but Cass was certain she had spoken loud enough. She started circling around the cage, but Grey Wind didn't follow, as if he wanted her to stay there on the other end, as far away from the prisoner as possible. But Cass kept walking, holding onto the bars as she circled closer. "Jaime, it's me."

He sniffed but still didn't look up. "I was hoping that was a fucking trick."

Cass didn't go any closer. There were several yards between them, but she was afraid if she approached him further, Jaime would stop speaking. "What was?"

He stared at her, green eyes piercing through the dark filth of his face. "Your voice."

She shivered. Cass felt suddenly cold, like she was just now realizing how north she was. She remembered when she saw Ned, how her body fell down to his level, to stare at him in the eyes and tell him everything was okay. But she didn't react that way with Jaime. If anything, her shoulders stiffened, pulling back to make her stand straighter, taller. And she didn't know how to get him out of this...or even if she wanted to. _Robb told you to talk to him. _ She swallowed, embarrassed at herself. What was going on in her head? This was still Jaime.

Cassana knelt, causing Grey Wind to take a step closer. She shifted her borrowed dress around in the mud and said, "It wasn't though. I'm here."

"Why?"

That took her off guard, and for a while, she didn't know what to say to him. "Your sister sent me here."

Jaime sniffed then shook his head, greasy bangs moving across his muddied forehead. "That makes no sense."

"She sent me as bait for my brothers...as punishment for helping Ned Stark."

"So that's what they say. But she's not a fool. Why would she send you away when she could hold you hostage in the Red Keep?"

Cass didn't know. "I'm telling you the truth, Jaime. Cersei was the one who sent me here."

He tried to stand, his metal chains clanging, and Jaime cursed passionately before sitting down again. "You ran away with Ned Stark. Just admit it."

"I didn't."

"You're a fucking wolf. I can smell it on you. That beast follows you around. You've saved a Stark and promised yourself to another. You're a traitor to your family."

"What_ family!?_" She couldn't help but yell at him. The direwolf started to growl, but Cass ignored him. She wanted to hit Jaime through the bars, throw mud at his face or go to Robb and ask for his execution. But she would do none of those things. She was too angry to move from her position on the floor. "Tell me what family I have left, Ser Jaime. My brothers are killing one another for a seat. My oldest brother—someone who was the closest to a father I would ever have—was murdered and has only left a pile of bastards in his wake." She sniffed, ignoring his paling face. "Your sister intended to sell me to the Starks, and I have welcomed it. I am a Baratheon, but my house is dead. Tell me what I am supposed to do when my brothers are gone and the kingdom is left to your bastards?"

He couldn't look at her. Cass was staring at him, waiting for his head to rise, but it didn't. His green eyes were stuck on the mud, on his feet, on everything that wasn't her. And it wasn't because she had yelled at him or because he was stuck as a prisoner. It was because of what she knew.

Cass could finally stand. "You..." She swallowed. "...Jaime, I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to," he finally replied sharply.

She shook her head. The words were weighted, incredibly hard to say. They seemed to stick to her tongue, but she spat them out, letting them fall. "You love her."

It wasn't a question, but Jaime nodded anyway.

She squirmed. She didn't understand it. She...wouldn't. _I wonder if Tyrion knows. Or Lord Tywin. _ She was almost certain the latter did not. But the facts weren't fitting together in her head. The Jaime she knew and the Jaime being revealed to her were two different things. _This is the Kingslayer_. She had to remind herself. "Don't kill any of Robb's men."

"You mean any _more_ of Robb's men." He coughed. "Shouldn't you be calling him _King Robb_? How lovely. You'll get to reign over snow and shit just as you dreamed."

"This wasn't what I dreamed of."

"Me either."

She exhaled. His voice was low, weak. Her thoughts suddenly became a little worried. Perhaps Robb did not intend to kill this man, but how many others thought the same? How many of these northern men would let the Kingslayer live amongst them? "Please, Jaime. Please do not do anything stupid."

"I think it's already late for that, but yes. I promise. I _swear _it if you trust my word at all."

"Of course I do."

Jaime stiffened. "Right. Well, you'll see me tomorrow then? Make sure I'm well behaved?"

The request confused her, but she nodded. "Yes."

"I'm so glad our relationship hasn't changed, Cass." He spat, venom sticking to his words. "And here I thought you'd think differently of me."

His sarcasm stung at her, calling back all the moments when she had thought differently of him, of how she still did. She wanted to call him out, say that maybe she didn't know him properly at all, that she was finally seeing his true skin, but the words felt false. There was a rare weakness and sadness in his eyes that Cass did not understand. And for now, she didn't want to. "Goodbye, Jaime."

She retreated back to Robb's tent, Grey Wind licking at her heels. Cass stopped and knelt down to the wolf, hugging his fur and letting the warmth envelop her. The direwolf was stoic, steady, but Cass didn't mind. She inhaled the smell of smoke and ash and blood on his grey fur and stepped back.

Robb was with his men when she came back into the King in the North's tent. He was talking strategy, talking war, and Cass did not understand much of it. But he didn't tell her to leave. His blue eyes clearly saw her, and he just smiled at her before turning back to his captains.

Cass watched him with curiosity. The terms he was using were foreign to her, but she recognized a few from being around her brother. His mind was tactical, Cass realized, which shouldn't have surprised her but did. _He beat Jaime in battle. _ These men were following a boy who was just man grown. There must have been a reason for it. It was then it hit her that there was a lot she did not know about Robb Stark.

When the captains were dismissed to pack up their tents, Robb still didn't call her over. His mind was pouring over maps and documents laid out seemingly haphazardly to Cassana. His sudden voice in the room had her stiffen, taken off guard. "I'm sorry about earlier."

The details were vague, but Cass knew immediately what he was talking about. She was sorry for it too. She was sorry that she almost..."It is my fault as well."

"It...it wouldn't have been...I mean...it would have been _nice_."

His tone was so different with her, so much more unsure than it was when he was leading armies. The thought made Cass laugh aloud. "Oh, would it have been?"

She stood up and started to walk closer to him, and even though Robb was looking down, she could see his face redden. "I do not intend to dishonor you though."

"No. You intend to marry me." She said it bluntly, letting the words sit in her mouth, tasting them, unsure of how she felt still. Her mind suddenly jumped. "I talked to Jaime Lannister as you asked. He says he will not kill anymore of your men."

Robb sighed. "Let us hope he is being honest."

"To be honest myself, Robb, I do not know why you thought of sending me to speak to him."

"It worked though, didn't it? I can relax the guard a bit there. One man should be enough to defend against a man in chains, regardless of what man he is." Robb turned back to his papers on the desk. "Cass?" His hands were suddenly on her upper arms, and he smoothed them over the sleeves of her dress, over her skin as he asked, "Are you alright?"

She didn't lie to him. Cass didn't say anything. She looked down, her breath feeling heavy and stuck in her throat and lungs. It became hot. Her forehead felt sweaty and warm and Cass wanted to sit. Robb led her to a chair and knelt down, holding her hands as he looked at her.

"Cassana?"

"I'm sorry...I don't..." She shook her head, and rubbed her eyes. "I'm not okay, Robb. I'm not. I don't know what to do. My...it's falling apart."

Robb stood up, still holding her hands. "My mother will talk to your brothers."

"And what if they don't listen, Robb? What then? What side am I supposed to take?"

He hesitated. Robb ran a hand through his auburn hair and paced around the room, turning his back away from her. The King in the North was cautiously thinking over his next statement, "I think you already took one."

_Your side then. _ She swallowed, a large part of her feeling uneasy, nauseous at the thought. "And what if they fight you too?"

"I don't want the Iron Throne," Robb said plainly to her for the first time.

"Do you want any of this?" Cass stood this time, wiping away the sweat from her face and walking towards this young king. Her words surprised her, that they were able to come out so easily to Robb Stark, but she felt safe here, protected. She knew Robb would not hurt her, but she was curious to see if he would be insulted by the question. "Robb?"

She touched his shoulder and Robb turned to face her, his eyes dark and wary. His face was pallid, white compared to her own tanned skin, and she remembered talking to him in the godswood. This boy wanted to see the world, not march through it. He wanted to live life, not take it away from those weaker than he.

"No, Cass. I don't."

Her voice automatically wanted to ask why then. Why was he doing this? Why was he marching through these lands away from his home? Why was he holding Jaime captive in his camp? But she knew why. He wanted his sisters. He wanted honor and respect and the love of his people, and for that he waged war with lions. "This was not how I intended for you to see King's Landing."

"I hope to meet your brothers at the door, Cass. I do. I just wish for sovereignty of the North." He laughed, though it seemed forced. "What would your brothers want with a bunch of snow and wolves anyway?"

_Pride_. But Cass didn't say anything. "Maybe I should go with your mother to speak with Renly." If they were going to listen to anyone, it would be someone of their own blood, Cass realized that now. "They will both wish to speak to me at least. And I am...on a different side than either of them now."

Robb did not smile. "Is that what you wish to do?"

"I wish to preserve my house, Robb, no matter what. I know it's dangerous to travel alone, but the Lannisters will be focused on your camp more than a traveling band to Highgarden."

"My mother is not going until we see to my grandfather first. And...I insist that once we are there..." Robb grabbed her hand. "Cass, I...I would want to do this anyway."

She didn't know exactly what he meant. Even if there wasn't a war? Even if marrying her didn't form a powerful alliance between two armies? "We have Cersei to thank for delivering me to you. Perhaps we should invite her."

"Perhaps we should set Jaime loose from his chains and minister the whole thing. Though I'm not sure he knows much of the old gods ways."

Cass laughed. "I do not know of them either."

"You will get to." Robb took her hand. "This is what you want?"

"Yes." She nodded and looked at him, face forming a light smile. This wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. Yes, she supposed to some degree she thought she'd marry a man like Robb Stark one day. The son of a great lord and house. A handsome son. A noble and smart man that challenged her. _But why do I feel so hesitant?_ She did not know him. She did not love him "This is what I want." This was the best option she had.

Robb did not seem to fully believe her, but he kept hold of her hand and dragged her deeper into his tent, towards his bed, where he sat down casually with her beside him. He did not move to remove her clothes, and he actually kept a fair distance away from her. Cass arranged herself on the furs, warming her one free hand deep in the brown hairs. Robb touched the ring on her finger. "My maesters always said I'd marry you."

She stiffened, suddenly nervous. "Is this what you want then?" _Or am I just some expectation? _The thought bothered her enormously, incredibly. Cass felt her stomach lurch.

Robb grinned at her paling face. "Let me finish. They always said I'd marry you, that my father and your brother were great friends and that this would be some sort of...renewal of the vows your brother and my aunt once had."

"I hope you do not intend on being Lyanna Stark in this case."

"I didn't intend for any of this." Robb let go of her hand and shook his head. "I...I refused to believe them. I thought my life was set up enough for me. I was destined to be the Lord of Winterfell, but I wanted my own choice of who would be there beside me. I...I did not want you."

She felt cold at his words and anxious."And you changed your mind?" Cass exhaled when Robb nodded. "Why?"

"I met you." His anxiety faded. Robb stared at his hands, not at her face, and smiled to himself as he continued. "I did not remember you at all, and I had heard from everyone that you were beautiful, and I knew that would not be enough. Beauty shouldn't be enough and it wasn't. I mean, yes, I was attracted to you, Cass." He scratched his head. "But...you're smart too. You have something in you—a fire—that is more beautiful than any physical thing."

She couldn't help but blush. "You do not fully know me."

"And you do not know me." Robb agreed. "But I like what I do know. All I ask is that you think the same of me."

She did. Cass leaned forward, feeling the warmth permeating from his cheeks, the flush of his skin so like her own. She realized they were the same in a sense. They were lost in this mess, lost in a battle of alliances and betrayal forged before either of them was born. _He just wants his sisters back. _ Cass pressed herself forward more, reaching closer to his lips and waiting for Robb to close the gap.

"Cass?"

"You're a king, Robb." The words felt true to her now. She saw his strength when he thought she wasn't looking, and she wanted him to display it, bask in it. "Don't ask me. Just do it."

He did. All the lust from before was gone. All the desperation and pain and anxiety was absent from this kiss, and Cass could only feel Robb, completely exposed. She felt his timidity, his strength, his charisma and pride between those chapping lips. And when they broke, eyes stuck to one another's, Cassana knew he saw the same in her. She was bare to him, and Robb dragged her closer so that her head was resting on his strong shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Cass. I'm sorry that your brother died."

It was the first time anyone had ever said that to her.

* * *

Someone gave her a horse. She did not ask what happened to its original owner, for she was sure he had probably died in some way that would only make his friends and comrades sad. She was riding side by side with Robb, Catelyn riding behind them. _They are marking me_. It went without saying. The men in Robb's army treated her differently, with more respect than she had ever garnered in the Red Keep. _I was a lady there. Here I am a queen._

She wasn't yet, not in title. But it was only a matter of time. When they arrived in Riverrun, Robb and she would marry and she would be Cassana Baratheon no longer.

_Cassana Stark. _ It wasn't bad, she supposed, but something in her still felt hollow. She wondered what her brothers would think of it. She had talked more of their upcoming journey west with Catelyn. Ned and Theon had already left to Winterfell, where Theon would then go off to Pyke. Catelyn assured her she would not have to stay, that she would be a Stark then and if her brothers disagreed and would not align, she would return with Catelyn back to Robb. _I'd be a Stark. I'll…_

"I don't know why betraying both of them seems easier than only one."

Robb glanced at her and then looked forward. "I hope you do not think of our marriage as a _betrayal_."

"They will. Maybe." Cass forced herself to laugh. "Renly always joked that if the Others ever came, they could just take the North and be done with it. I hope he holds the same feelings for you."

"I'll have to..." Robb suddenly stopped his horse, causing the lines and lines of men behind them to also stop.

"Robb?" Cass steered her horse closer to him. He looked...distracted. "Is everything okay?"

"It's nothing." He shook his head. "Where's Grey Wind?"

"I saw him run off to the woods before." His eyes looked wild, lost. "What's wrong? Is it something with Grey Wind? Is he alright?"

"I need to rest." He dismounted from his horse, walking through the grass without saying another word. Cass grew worried. This was not how Robb normally acted at all, and Cass jumped off her own horse and started walking quickly towards him.

Her boots crunched through the iced dew, and Robb had moved deeper and deeper in the surrounding forest. Cass had yelled back to the men wanting to follow. She wanted to figure this one out for herself. The Young Wolf was standing by a muddied puddle, staring at his reflection before turning back to Cassana. "I apologize."

"No need to apologize." She put her hands on her hips. "Especially if you explain what is actually going on."

Robb narrowed his eyes. "I don't really know how to explain it."

"You can try though." Cass gave him a gentle push on the shoulder. "Please?"

"It happened after the battle." Robb pointed to the thin scar on his cheek. "Jaime Lannister gave me this."

They had been too close to each other. _They still are_. Cass turned around briefly to the army they had abandoned, where Jaime was still in chains. _I'd promised I would speak to him. _ "Is it healing?"

"Yes. But I was...terrified. I'm not too proud to admit it. Jaime wanted me to fight him one on one, but after this...I..."

She kissed the mark. "You are no fool."

"But ever since then I've been having nightmares." Robb scoffed."My cowardice is haunting me."

"What are these nightmares?"

Robb looked uneasy, "They're feral. I'm..." He swallowed. "I'm a wolf. I'm hunting or stalking a prey, an enemy scout. I hunt him down and rip his head off. The wolf was doing what I was supposed to. Only..." Robb looked away from her, fists clenched, and Cassana did not know what to say. She was no stranger to bad dreams, but they should not have affected Robb so greatly.

"You are under a lot of stress." She rubbed his shoulders. "Maybe after our wedding we will sleep better together?"

He smiled. "Maybe. Look, I am being foolish. Let's go back. It's not right for a king to just run away into the woods like some beast."

When they returned, Grey Wind was waiting by Robb's horse. The direwolf looked at them both, and Cass hesitated to remount. Catelyn approached her son. "Is something wrong?"

"I just needed a rest from my horse." Robb stretched out his arms. "Perhaps we should stop for a while and all rest." He turned to his captains who all nodded their heads and yelled the orders to the back lines to be carried through.

Cass knew she had to see Jaime. It was almost midday and she had not gone to talk to him as she promised. She did not want him to do anything that could get himself killed. She looked to Grey Wind. "Will you come with me?"

The direwolf still looked to his master, who read Cass' face easily. "Go."

She shifted through the men, all of them quieting as she walked along with the direwolf. Grey Wind's dark fur looked dirty and bloodied, and Cass thought of what Robb had just told her. _Why did it bother him so much? _ Though it was bothering her too. The look on his face...this wasn't normal. She remembered one of her Septa's stories of wargs but pushed the thoughts aside. She may as well believe in living dragons too.

Jaime was in an enclosed cart. There was one small window. It didn't make for good conversation at all, but she hesitated before asking to go in. _He wouldn't hurt you. _ Cass exhaled. _You know him. You've known him all your life. This is Jaime. _

She thought she knew him. She thought Jaime had showed her all his demons. Cass swallowed the bile in her throat and said, "Let me see the Kingslayer."

Robb must have talked to the guards, for they barely gave her a second look at the command. The suspicion was still there, as it should have been. They were both from King's Landing, both of them serving King Robert Baratheon and not Robb Stark. She bundled Catelyn's dress in her hands as she took the first step on the wooden cart.

"Do you want me to leave the door open?" the guard asked. Grey Wind was pacing outside.

"Do and I'll escape." Jaime's voice echoed from the back of the cart. He was sitting all the way inside, hands crossed in his chains, looking the part of the ideal, complacent prisoner. Although Cass thought his face read differently.

She flashed the guard an awkward grin. "I'll be fine. And if he kills me, King Robb will probably let you return the favor."

The guard made no argument and offered a hand as she took another step inside the small cart.

It was dark when he closed the door, the only light streaming from the small, barred window. The cart had a long L-shaped bench. Jaime was on the opposite end of the door, and Cass sat away from him and across from the window. The light made her feel safer, which she thought was stupid. _It's Jaime, Cass. This is no different than when you visited Ned Stark._

But it was completely different.

Jaime did not look weak. Yes, he was physically weaker. The Starks had not been feeding him appropriately and his face was covered with a thick beard. But Cass could feel the relentless power in his body. His spirit was not broken, nor did Cass think it could be.

But she thought, just maybe, she saw the wall he had constructed crack a little when he looked up to her. His bangs were in his eyes, and Jaime lifted his chains to move them back. Cass did not like the sound of the metal, and she shifted over to him. "How've you been sleeping?"

Her lips felt dry as she moved his hair back, feeling the grease and dirt embedded in the once yellow strands. She didn't wipe it on her dress, but Jaime took her wrist and wiped them on his pants. His fingers hesitated over the ring. "You actually came?"

"I said I would and I did." She took her hand back. "I heard you've been a good boy. Haven't killed anyone else."

"Not from lack of trying."

"Jaime..." Cass's chest tightened. She knew what she wanted to say, but it was becoming harder and harder to get the words out. She turned her eyes away from him, looking at the grey dress, and the wolf ring on her finger. "You were right."

He was silent for a while, but it wasn't because he was confused by what Cass had said. The cart became cacophonous with the hum of outside noises—captains shouting orders and soldiers laughing at their small rest Robb had allotted them. It only made Jaime's lack of response more obvious to Cass, and she moved a bit away, twisting her hands together. He just looked down at the metal on his wrists until finally he said, "I don't have to be."

"What else do you expect of me?" Cass didn't think she'd get defensive. "What do you expect me to do?"

"I expect you to be a Baratheon." His voice was low. "Go home, Cassana. Robert should have never sent you to Winterfell. You owe these people nothing."

"You said that to me once before." Cass felt her cheeks becoming hot. "You said he should have sent me to Casterly Rock." She looked up. "To you?"

Jaime didn't deny it. "I think I know why Cersei sent you here. Do you know why?"

She thought she did. Cass thought Cersei had wanted her to rot. Cass thought Cersei was treating her like the queen had once been treated. She'd be exiled and sold—away from her family and the home she once knew. "I told her I didn't like the Starks. She wanted me to suffer for what I did. And she thought sending me here would push my brothers away from the Red Keep."

"You disliked the Starks and yet you save the lord of their house from death?" Jaime sniffed. "Yes, that makes perfect sense."

"Cersei isn't perfect, Jaime." Her face was becoming even warmer now. "Though I know you disagree with that."

"I don't," Jaime said right away. "But sending you away was a big mistake. The Baratheons couldn't attack King's Landing with you there."

"Perhaps she knows Renly and Stannis would not hesitate to risk my life. They certainly do not care about each others. What's a sister to them?" Her eyes were getting blurry.

Jaime laughed at that as well. "And yet they are willing to wage a war with the North to get you back? Come now, Cass. You're smarter than..."

"I'm not!" She yelled, the water breaking through her eyes as she shouted. "I'm not smart. I can't figure this out. I am doing the best I can with what I have, Jaime. And I am sorry if you do not understand that. I'm sorry that this is not the way you thought it would be, but it is not what _I _thought it would be either." She wiped at her face, "My brother's dead. My house is in pieces, and you...you're just _smirking_ at me?" She slapped him. She couldn't really think straight anymore. "I don't give a fuck why Cersei sent me here. I don't. Because I'm here now and I'm making the best of it. What did you tell me once? Cersei would have me be queen?" She continued to wipe at her eyes and looked at where her hand had hit his cheek. It was red. "That is exactly what I intend to be."

There was barking outside, and soon the door was opening and the guard was dragging her out before she could even get some hint of Jaime's reaction. Robb was there. He looked angry, and Grey Wind was soon running away as the two of them stared at each other.

"Did you hear me?" Cass asked. The tear stains were still on her cheeks.

"You shouldn't have gone inside." Robb rubbed the wet spots with his gloves. "Did he hurt you?"

"No." _Jaime wouldn't_. Cass was breathing heavy. "I don't want to talk to him again, Robb." She lowered her voice, embarrassed by her labored breathing and not wanting anyone else to hear. "Please don't ask me to."

"I won't." He dragged her into a hug and rubbed her hair. It almost made her forget what Jaime was trying to tell her. Almost.

* * *

A/N:

Happy reunion? Nah. Too easy.

And if you think things are falling into place a little too nicely, well...I got a few more tricks guys, and I'm really excited/nervous.

Thanks for a reviewing and it'd be lovely to see what you think!


	13. Loyalty

A/N:

This is much shorter, but also sort of a game changer. So the nervousness is back.

Thanks to all my lovely readers and special thanks to the reviewers since my last post:

_rikka21_ (I am actually a little bit ahead of my posts and let me say the baratheon dynamic is an...interesting one),_ Allimba_ (why thank you!), _MutiaRAWR_ (I'm so happy you understood that! Oh, Cersei. And Jaime doesn't seem quite like the quitting type, does he? :D), _FollowtheSun22_ (It won't follow the show exactly. And I'm keeping my lips sealed about the Red Wedding...), _Guest_ (Glad you commented on the warg scene! And Cass is so lost. Incredibly. But I think this chapter might clear some things up...or confuse everything. And I'm so happy to hear she's well developed!), _Shelley42 _(It will be revealed shortly! and thanks :D), _Like-a-Slasher-Film_ (Yes, yes they will be. As much as she tries to simplify it. And yay! Oh triangles. I like them too much), _BlueRose22_ (Thanks so much! Here's more! And that would be so much easier for Cass. Poor girl.), _Guest _(Thanks! And I hear your Team Jaime. Robb's had enough time in the spotlight for now), and _Honor is a Horse _(I'm really happy you noticed the difference in her interactions. Super happy. And I'm assuming your Team Robb, right? just kidding. love your penname btw).

Before you all read, I just want everyone to remember the title of this fic. Phew, now I feel less nervous. Sort of.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Game of Thrones _ or _A Song of Ice and Fire. _Cass is mine. I guess. I don't know how this works.

* * *

They were four hours or so away from Riverrun when the night became too dark and dangerous for some of the horses and weaker men. If Cass had thought traveling with her brother's caravan was long, traveling in an army seemed unfathomably time-consuming. There were too many logistics, too many people and tents and camps. She almost thought it wasn't worth stopping now for it would take several hours for them just to get moving again come sunlight.

Cass felt terrible about what she had done and said to Jaime. She didn't like that he was questioning her actions, but what else was he supposed to do? Say congratulations? Somehow that sort of reaction would have made her feel even worse. Catelyn hadn't come to talk to her at night like she usually did, and Cass was somewhat grateful for that. She'd be going with her to Renly after marrying her son. Cass didn't know if Catelyn liked that idea or not. She didn't know if because Robb was a king and young, if Catelyn thought that Cass had more _productive _things she should have been doing.

She also was hesitant about seeing Renly. They had not parted on best of terms, and to be honest, she hopped Stannis would not see it as her supporting Renly's claim to the Iron Throne. It was not his, not by any right besides right of the sword.

She had a dream that night. Cass was in a forest, dark and snowy. A stag was there on the ground, blood seeping out of the fleshy cavern in its chest, gooey and bright red in the frost covered ground. She was running to it, the life of the stag still there despite the wound. And for some reason she was screaming. She was screaming Robert's name and then Renly's, but the stag didn't respond. She repeated the name over and over until the dryness of smoke made her cough salty blood. Her voice was hollow and broken in the dark. His eyes were fading, and her heart flinched as the tears started to fall. Her brothers had died at her feet.

It was then she heard the footsteps and the howls deeper in the woods. They were running towards her, sprinting, and Cass fell down against the stag's corpse, covering her arms and face in wet blood. Wolves ran past her, a large pack. They stopped and stared at her for an instant until a fire rushed through the trees, destroying everything—the flame and shadow consuming the trees and flesh except her and the stag's body.

The heat of the flames still burned her. She could feel her skin scabbing, feel the sweltering heat beat into her pours until they felt like bursting under the flame. Cass turned onto her back, body aching. The blood from the stag was pouring underneath her, and another shadow was coming. But this one was not dark. It was white and so cold…

She woke from the dream with sweat layering her face. It was too early. No one else was awake and Robb's camp was in a rare state of quiet. Cass turned on her side, attempting to sleep. _You're too stressed. And…guilty. _ She inhaled. _Too many things. Too much death. _ She could feel the stag's blood in her mouth, the copper, bitter taste staining her tongue.

Her hands fumbled for the fur robe, reached desperately for leather boots she had brought all the way from King's Landing and a lantern in her small tent. She didn't want to be alone, not here, not after seeing that, but her mind didn't understand why her body was leading her back to Jaime.

Maybe it was the guilt. Or maybe it was the fact that out of anyone here, she knew Jaime the longest. There was only one guard stationed this late at night, and he was a young man, sleeping against the wooden cart. Jaime was sleeping too, but she wanted to talk to him. She…she wanted the old Jaime again, the one who would tell her jokes late at night, who would walk her down to banquets when she was 12 and tease her about some stupid suitor when she was 15. The keys were on the sleeping guard's belt. She then saw the multiple bottles next to him and realized his nap was more of an alcohol induced coma. It would be too easy.

But the memories of what he had said to her only a few hours ago made her want to turn back and find Robb. _You should not wake him. He has enough on his mind without your burdens. _ And Jaime needed more of it. Jaime needed to know exactly what was going on for he did not seem to comprehend it before. And as she watched him sleeping, he did not appear to be the Kingslayer that everyone claimed him to be.

She took the keys from the man's belt. They felt heavy in her hands, but she put the key in the lock before she could change her mind. They would reach Riverrun tomorrow and Jaime would be placed in a cell. She would not be allowed to see him again. She would be a Stark.

"Ser Jaime Lannister."

His reflexes had him wake immediately at his name, and his right hand reached towards his left side, ready to draw a sword that wasn't there. "…What?"

"I'm sorry." Cass stayed far away on the long wooden bench. She closed the metal door behind her but did not move to lock it.

Jaime edged closer to her, chains clinking. "You should not apologize."

That took her aback. "No, I mean, I shouldn't even…"

"Cassana." He reached and touched the curly hair falling out of her braids. "You're so much different than her."

She froze, but her mouth wouldn't open. Jaime was acting too strangely.

"And it seems appropriate that you'd only apologize and come here in a drea…"

"You aren't." Cass coughed, edging back. "You aren't dreaming, Jaime."

His body became rigid, and the confusion spread over his face "You can't be here."

"It seems that I am."

"Cass…" He shook his head, voice sounding somber. "You don't understand what you just did."

"I do." Though she felt she didn't. If anyone found out about this she would be marked a traitor…again. Staring at him, it didn't seem to bother her nearly as much as it should have. "I wanted to see you before we came to Riverrun."

"I heard you outside with your king." Jaime slouched. "You seemed to think the exact opposite before."

Cass didn't deny it. "I know what I said."

"Then what changed your mind?"  
The dream hit her again. The blood, the dying stag and the names she kept shouting in the smoking mist. But she didn't know how to explain it to Jaime without him mocking her. And then the deeper root of why she was here suddenly formed in her head. The stag bleeding, her brother's blood on her hands. Cass remembered Robert on his death bed. Cersei was looking over him, watching him, and Cass just had to know. She looked him dead in the eye, his green hue fading in the shadow of his cell, and swallowed. "Did you kill my brother?"

"This most certainly isn't a dream." Jaime's eyes fell. "Why do you ask me this?"

"To protect your children, Jaime. Robert would have killed them if he knew."

"And?" He seemed unaffected by that thought.

"Did you kill him?" Cass breathed. "I…I need to know. Honestly. Did you help kill Robert?"

Jaime did not seem eager to talk, but he straightened his body on the bench and said, "Honestly? I did not, Cass, but for a while I wanted to."

She wanted to retch at the admission, at the thought of anyone wanting her family dead. "Why? Because he was married to Cersei?"

"Because he did not respect Cersei, Cass. He was stuck on Lyanna Stark, loved Lyanna, and not my sister. She did not deserve that."

"I'm sure you comforted her." Cass rubbed her own shoulders, feeling cold again. "You would have been a good knight, Jaime, if you loved a better person."

He flinched at her remark but made no move to defend his sister. "Why did you not go to Storm's End?"  
_Because there is nothing for me there. _ "Because I am a wolf."

His green eyes were suddenly on her again, too striking in the dark. "You did not come here to taunt me, Cass."

No, that wasn't her intention at all, and she felt bad for doing it. "I just wanted to talk to you." _I just wanted to remember the old days back in the Red Keep-when you were just Jaime and not a prisoner. When I could look at you and not see _her_. _But she still saw Jaime in the dark. Under the dirty beard and clothes and weird chain on his neck, she saw him clearly.

"Unspecific."

"And apologize. Jaime…" She exhaled. "I…I can't agree with what you've done, but there is something that drove you to it, just like with Aerys." She met his eyes. The sudden brightness worried her. "You love her. Gods know why, but you do."

"I'm a monster, Cass. What don't you understand? I killed Aerys, fucked my sister, and wanted to rip out your brother's heart." He sniffed. "Why are you still here?"

"Because we're all monsters on the inside. Some of us are just better at hiding it." The words were hard to say when she knew people like Ned Stark. But she knew her brothers too; she knew the people of King's Landing, and herself. She did not see a monster when she looked at Jaime. She only saw a man. "You were my friend, Jaime."

"Were?"

"Are." She immediately corrected herself. "I can tell Robb to pardon you."

"_Pardon me_? Do you know how many of his captains' sons I have cut down? Do not do that, Cassana."

"He'll listen to me."

"He'll accuse you of treason, wonder what threat I have over you after your scene earlier."

Cass bit her lip. She remembered her old thought of Jaime never appearing weak, but she saw it now. His shoulders and face were gaunt, and his clothes were starting to hang on him, looking like dirty rags. They _were_ dirty rags, and it was completely different than how he normally was—dressed in reds and golds and more often white. "Will your sister make a trade for you?"

His eyebrow lifted. "For what?"

"For Sansa Stark."

"A knight for a girl?"

"It seems that King's Landing is at the advantage with this offer."

Jaime sniffed again. "Why are you bothering, Cassana? Why are you doing this?"

"I don't want war, Jaime," She said evenly, diplomatically.

The old smirk on his face was back. "Already a queen, aren't you? I bet you'd give Cersei a fight."

The comment made her smile as well. "I intend to."

"Cass, just one question before you get sick of sitting in this smelly piece of shit." He edged closer to her, but Cass didn't back away. "Have you heard of Daenerys Targaryen?"

The name threw her. She had, though barely. She was not mentioned nearly as much as Aerys or Rhaegar or Viserys. "She is the Targaryen girl." _Robert wished to have her killed._

"_Is,_ yes, she _is_ the Targaryen girl. The last one."

Cass huffed. "I suppose no one is the proper king besides her then. Is that what you are saying?"  
"I am saying that your brothers are fighting each other and then my family intends on defeating the victor. Forget Robb Stark and his pups. Forget your thought of being Queen in the North, Cass." Jaime was completely serious, worry staining his voice. "If your brothers die, which is becoming more and more plausible by the second mind you, that leaves you next in line."

_The Iron Throne. Queen of…of…_ "I don't want it." His words were a blow. She shook her head furiously at the thought. "I don't want it at all."

"And you think your people will let that slip by? You think the Baratheon bannermen and lords will want to support Joffrey when you still draw breath?"

"They will have to, Jaime." Her own screams ran through her. The dying stag…

"You think Cersei will stand by and let you live?"

She didn't, and neither did he from the pale look he was now giving her. "The Starks will protect me."

"The Starks are the first on the chopping block, Cass. I can't let you stay."

She blinked, "What?"

Jaime repeated himself, equally as serious. "I can't let you stay here. Not with my father out for blood. I told you that you didn't know what you just did when you opened my cage, and you still don't. Give me the keys."

_Is he mad? _"No."

He sighed. "Now, don't make me force you. We all know how that will turn out."

Cass thought a bit differently than him. "You're handcuffed."

"For now."

"Jaime, you're acting ridic…"

He was already on top of her, one hand covering her mouth so that she wouldn't scream, while the other tried to reach through the handcuffs towards the keys she just dropped. Cass wrenched her head away on the cart's dirt floor and curved her body, attempting to push herself out from under Jaime's weight. But even though he was weakened with days in the cell, Jaime's muscles held her down, the tightness and firmness of his legs gripping her sides so that she couldn't move. "Jaime!" She yelled, but the Kingslayer ignored her and kept reaching for the key over her body. Cass yelled again, "Jaime, stop!"  
"You stop, Cass. Do you want the northern men to find you here? _Under_ me? They'll kill you." The black keys were already in his hand, and he fumbled with which key would unlock him. "Fuck." He cursed but soon found the right one, and the metal chains fell to the ground. Jaime flexed his hands and turned around so that he was mounting her face to face. He placed his right hand over her mouth again. "Let me explain what is going to happen."

She shook her head and tried to bridge him, tried to buck him off her, but he was too heavy. Her mind went back to her training, and Cass attempted to grab his arm that was so exposed and bend it back.

Jaime was too quick. He let go of her mouth and grabbed both her arms, holding them by the biceps above her head so that she couldn't move. He looked like a true lion, mane wild, claws in her skin. "I'm taking you away from here."

"Don't, Jaime."

"You're not really in a position to argue, Cass."

"Do not do this. Do not kidnap me."

He shook his head, suddenly looking hurt. "Is that what you think I'm doing?" He loosened his grip on her waist and let go of his hold on her arms. "I'm a knight, Cass. I'm rescu…"

"Let her go!"

They both turned at the slurred, new voice that had swung open the metal door and saw the drunken guard outside. He was stumbling even as he stood, and it only took a step forward from the Kingslayer to cause the man to shrink back and nearly drop his sword. Jaime took immediate advantage of this and punched the guard in the face, causing him to completely drop his sword in the cart. The disappeared strength came back in an instant as Jaime's right hand grabbed the sword. To Cass, he seemed whole again, and she was too stunned by what was happening, too confused and frozen and paralyzed to understand what Jaime Lannister was doing next.

"We're going to answer a question that has been bothering me, and I'm sure you, for awhile." He tugged at the northern man's collar, dragging him up and in front of him as he held the long sword against the guard's throat. "Cass, which brother do you want to follow? Both have their merits…I suppose. Stannis is the true heir and all, but Renly _does _have those bothersome Tyrells with him."

Her stomach twisted. Her eyes went to Jaime and then to the guard with a grey direwolf on his chest. "Don't kill him, Jaime." She got up from her knees. "Don't be the monster you say you are."

"Just answer the question, Cass."

"I can't."

_Stannis or Renly._

"Three seconds and he dies." The sword was already cutting into his throat. The drunken soldier made a cry, but Jaime crossed his arm over his mouth, muffling the sound. "Three."

_Stannis or Renly._

"Stop it!" She needed him to stop. She didn't want to see him hurt anybody.

Jaime didn't flinch. "It's simple, Cass. Two."

_I was screaming for Robert…screaming for Renly too, and Robert died. Robert is dead._

"Stop." Her voice held firm at the word, and Cass tugged at his arm holding the sword. "I'll pick."

"Good." He let the sword move away from the soldier's neck, but he still held him in place. Jaime waited, "Well?"

Her mind ached. Her eyes were swelling. "Stannis." Cass' voice faltered even as she said it. "I…I pick Stannis. Are you happy now, Jaime?"

"No, but, see? That was simple."

She disagreed. Cass felt sick, could only picture Renly smiling at her, trying to help her escape the Red Keep. But the dead stag was there too and so were her screams. _Stannis is the true heir, Cass. He is. _"Let him go, Jaime. Do not kill him."

"I won't." He opened his fist over the man's mouth. "Though this could be pretty sloppy." And dragged out the soldier's tongue before grabbing a dagger from the man's belt and slicing the appendage off. The soldier's mouth filled with blood, and the northman fell to his knees, his hands pushing back the outpour of crimson.

Cass held back a gag, the taste in her mouth bitter, putrid. "…You…"

"We're going now." Jaime's voice revealed nothing, but Cass dared to look at him and saw the hollow look in his eyes, the sad drop in his cheeks. "I'm not kidnapping you, Cassana. Don't say that again."

He locked the tongue-less man in his own cell and took the keys with him. The guard had fainted from the pain, and Cass could not look at him any longer. She knew why Jaime did it though. The odds of that man knowing how to read and write were small, miniscule. Neither of them knew his name, and the emblem on his chest was that of a wolf-but he was not a close relative of the Starks. _He spared him. _ It was a twisted way to think of it, but Cass knew it to be true. Jaime could have easily killed the man, but he didn't. But he needed to cover his tracks.

Cass gave Jaime her fur cloak to cover the bare rags. "I can scream right now." She wasn't screaming though. Her voice was a soft whisper. "I can scream and they will come and kill you."

"They will." Jaime did not deny it. "And then my father and sister will come and tear this camp to shreds, but do it, Cass. What's stopping you?"

_ "A lion still has claws."_

The thought of the northern men dying was- that and the seriousness in Jaime's eyes. Jaime intended on taking her from the Starks, from the prospect of Riverrrun and any chance of her being the Queen in the North. _But if I don't go there will be no Riverrun. _ She remembered Lord Tywin. He was all the worst parts of his children. _There will be no King in the North either. _"You're not taking me to King's Landing?"

Jaime sneered at her. "I can't have you and Cersei together."

Good, they felt the same about that, but still she said, "I do not wish to leave." Robb had beaten Jaime Lannister. It seemed surreal to Cass, but perhaps the Young Wolf could defeat Lord Tywin too. And who was she to abandon him after that? Who was she to promise herself to a man only to leave with another? _But if I go this could end. If I go with Jaime, Tywin will have nothing to fight for besides pushing the North back. Jaime could talk to him though…convince his sister to give the North to them and Sansa, and all of this will end._

_This_ war would end anyway. The fight for the Iron Throne would wager on, but maybe going to Stannis could stop that. Maybe she could talk to him too. "You have to convince your lord father and sister to stop this fight with the Starks. You have to tell them to give Robb the North."

Jamie stared at her, incredulous. "You're being serious?"

"Yes, Jaime." Her dark eyes never faltered from his face. "Promise me you will do everything you can to make them stop. Tell your father you will revoke your vows and take back Casterly Rock. Tell your sister that you'll stop fucking her. I don't care. Whatever it takes. I will let you leave here, but you have to promise me you'll do everything in your power to stop this war."

"_And mine are long and sharp, my lord, as long and sharp as yours."_

He hesitated, scowling to himself. "I will." And grabbed Cass' hand. "You'll come with me?" It was phrased as a question, and maybe he really meant it as one.

Cass didn't know what to say. "…I…" Could she really leave Robb for Stannis?_ Catelyn is going to Renly, but after we're married…after I'm a Stark. _How would her brother look at her then?

"Never mind. Answer me this instead." Jaime smiled. "What are your words?"

There was no hesitation at all. "Ours is the fury."

* * *

A/N:

Bit of a game changer? I think so. The best decision? Maybe or maybe not. Guess we'll see.

Sorry it's short, but let me know what you all think!


	14. Blood and Truth

A/N:

Hi all! Here's the weekly update.

Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers! You guys are great:

_DamonSalvatorelover _(I try!), _FollowtheSun22 _(I'm glad you like her choice! And thanks! I hope it's good...), _Guest_ (Glad this chapter helped! But she is actually goign with Jaime, as you will soon see. And I'm glad you like her choice! Silly Renly), _Guest _(hehe glad you noticed those things! And here's the next part :D), _Guest _(I hope this is soon enough and thanks!), _Honor is a horse _(I won't disagree with her naivety. I can just say that after being in the Red Keep for so long threw off her need to play nice. I'm not even sure if there is a stable position in this series. Maybe if you're hiding away somewhere like Rickon. And I guess we'll just see what the dream means!).

Thanks so much guys! Also two more notes:

one is that I actually went on a writing splurge before I start work and future chapters may get a teensy more political-war oriented. I suppose that was bound to happen.

two is that I was recently informed by the author Maddie Rose that she is holding a Summer Award for this fandom. I just wanted to help spread the word, and you all can vote for your favorite stories through a link on her page. And now that I write this, it seems like a shameless plug. Oof. Not my intention. Ah. Ignore me.

Moving on:

Disclaimer: I am not GRRM. Nope.

* * *

Jaime unlocked the cart door one last time to rob the fallen soldier of his clothes. They did not fit him too well, the young soldier too small and narrow to match Jaime's broader and taller frame. There was blood by the collar, soaking into the mesh of fibers, but Jaime did not seem to care. Cass just sat there as he changed, back towards him, waiting for a northman to find them and stop them from leaving. A part of her was scared that would happen, and another part prayed for it. _Why is no one here? _She remembered Robb saying he would relax the guard a bit, but the army seemed thinner too. Some men had left before with Ned Stark and even more later on, but Cass had thought they would come back or maybe that they were scouting ahead to Riverrun. _They would not send so many as scouts. Robb would not, but they are not coming back. _ Cass felt uneasy.

Jaime was too good at slipping out of the camps. He did not hesitate walking past patrolling soldiers and he did not save his cousins. He did not show fear when they reached the outer edges, where the guards were still awake and too focused on what was ahead to look back inside the camp grounds. "Say goodbye to the Starks."

_Goodbye, Robb. _ Her breath was heavy, her lungs feeling like stones in her chest. "Just shut up and get out of here."

The camp was right by trees, too close that it made slipping between the tents and to a stray bush or trunk and into the forest too easy. Robb had no reason to look for the perfect campsite, and this was far from it. It was hours before dawn, and as soon as Jaime reached the forest, he started sprinting. Cass didn't. She stopped at the edge, feeling weak and like she was about to collapse in the dirt. _What am I doing?_

She was going back to her house. She said her words again in her head, an endless mantra. _Ours is the fury. Ours is the fury. _ She never really knew what that meant besides referring to the Baratheon temper. What was the fury exactly? What was _hers_?

Cass thought of the fire consuming her dream and actually fell down. She stared at the camps through the woods, at the guards unknowingly looking out at the escaped Kingslayer and their supposed queen. _Ours is the fury. Ours is the fury. Ours is the fury._

"Stop it, Cass. Get up or I will carry you."

"Carry me?" She swallowed hard. She felt that she was betraying them. She felt…terrible. _You would have been betraying your brothers. You would have if you married him, Cass. They would think you a traitor. Who would you rather think that? _ The answer came harder than she expected, and she clawed at the dirt. _The wolf pack ran past you. They ran away. _

Jaime kneeled in the ground and picked her up, shoving her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I rather carry you now than carry your corpse later."

And he did carry her. For an hour or so he carried her until he finally dropped her back on the ground and said, "We won't make good time like this. Come morning, that man will wake up and they'll think I kidnapped you."

_Will they? _ "You did."

"You came willingly enough, Cassana. Don't try to make yourself feel better about it." He paused, seeing her pale face. "We need horses."

They needed water too and food. Jaime needed to change his appearance. He was much too famous for his own good. "I can buy horses if we find somewhere." She had dragons in the heels of her shoes. Robert had always made sure she carried around some money, sewing coins into the lining as well. Cass thought he had meant it to be saved for a bottle of wine in situations like these, but Cass would rather have a horse or two. "Where are we riding to? White Harbor?"

Jaime, for some reason, was smiling. "You believed me then? That I am not going back to King's Landing?"

She didn't blink. "Jaime, if you intend on going to King's Landing, I will not stop you. But then I am turning around and going back to Robb." Cass walked forward, predicting his answer after her threat. "White Harbor then. We can hire a boat too and go to Dragonstone from there. Do you think boats will sail to Dragonstone in times of war?"

"They will sail anywhere if you pay them enough."

"Then thank the gods I have money." She turned to him, swallowing her past guilt. "Let's go then. I can't get caught like this."

Jaime just kept smiling before walking forward again.

They saw a small town ahead once they got through the forest. It seemed to be equipped with a stable, and only the farmers were up, readying themselves to work. Jaime was going into the town already, but Cass dragged him back. "I'm going first."

Jaime Lannister did not like that idea. "So that you can get robbed?"

"So that I can stop people from recognizing you." She fingered her own long hair. "Stay here, Jaime. I'll be back for you."

She lost a few silver talking to the first farmer she found, but in its place, she brought back a bag of black tea leaves. "I paid for his secrecy. Judge him if you like, but coin buys silence as well as death sometimes." She was sure she heard that expression from Littlefinger. Cass led him back to the small farm where the farmer looked at Jaime. Cassana hesitated, but saw that the man did not recognize the Kingslayer's face, just as he ignored hers. "Thank you again. You are too kind to me and Edric." Her brother's bastard was the only name she could think of.

The aging farmer opened the door to his house. "It's my pleasure, Shireen. A man's a man, even if he deserts. I can barely blame the boy myself, seeing you."

Cass looked to Jaime, who gave a light bow. He was staring at her solemnly. "It's more than her beauty that leads me to revoke my vow."

She felt uncomfortable at Jaime's words, but said nothing. "Let's go inside, Edric."

The water was already boiling over the fire. Cass took a bucket from the farmer's wife. She seemed a little more…reluctant to help, but Cass took her help anyway and thanked her. She directed Jaime to sit on a chair as another bucket was presented to her, this one with clean water and soap. "I'm washing your hair."

"Oh that's nice of you. Don't want to get lice in your new friend's house."

"Ja…Edric, it's so King Robb's men don't recognize you as we head to the Fingers." That lie fell easily from her mouth. She picked up a rag hanging over the bucket's rim and wiped it across Jaime's face. "You…you're so dirty."

"In more ways than one." His green eyes looked to the farmer's wife hovering in the room still. The old woman made a grunt and scurried out. "Gods, she was creepy."

"Be quiet. They are doing us a kindness." Cass focused on rubbing off the grime on his face, the marks over his eyes and the dried blood across his cheeks. "You were scratched."

"By a wolf pup, Shireen." Jaime held up the façade if barely. "It's nothing to worry about."

"I heard the wolf was scratched as well." She pressed harder on the scratch when she remembered Robb's scar, making Jaime wince. "Some might say it's stupid to start fights with wolves."

"Almost as stupid as with lions." Jaime grabbed her wrist. "Let me do it."

He did it much quicker than Cass could and then dipped his hair into the water, washing away the brown dirt to reveal a wet blond mess. Cass handed him a comb, and Jaime took away the knots as Cass grabbed the dagger from his belt. "How short?"

Jaime shrugged, "It doesn't matter."

She cut his hair to the scalp, the long locks becoming fuzz on his head. She liked his gold hair, but Cass' hand was steady, and she cut off all the long bits so that it looked almost dark without the dye. But she did not hesitate to brew the tea and have Jaime dip his head into it after he dried the short strands with another rag. He soaked it again, and again and again, until Cass was satisfied with the deep, brown color. _He looks less Lannister this way, less like Cersei._

Jaime kept the beard but trimmed it short, but Cass did not think it did much to hide his face. But maybe that was only because she had known him for most of her life. _If only we could change the color of his eyes. _ Green was too rare in the North, but they were in the Riverlands. _He will have to be a Rivers then. Edric Rivers. _It did not make too much sense with the wolf on his breast though. Cass shook her head. _Edric Snow._

She did not know what to do with herself. She did not know how to bleach her hair with the materials offered from the farmer, and cutting it would only reveal her face more. She did not have the body or the face of a boy, nor the means of hiding her curves. But she did need to get rid of her clothes. She remembered the Greatjon talking about her finery when she led Ned Stark to the camp. _They are all such great men. _ Ned Stark…she had saved him too. That was what got her into this mess, not her promise to Robb but her dismissal by Cersei. _ I am saving them again. Jaime will stop Tywin and I will talk to my brother. _ Cass took off her fur cloak and threw it to the ground before unlacing her night clothes.

"Cass…"

"What, Edric?" Her voice was stern. "Stop staring at me like that. It's just me. It's just Shireen."

"_Shireen_." Jaime smirked. "I did not know you were this much of a woman."

She was red again and was suddenly embarrassed to be with Jaime Lannister in her underclothes. "These are dirty but pure silk." The laundry of the farmhouse was in the room with her, and she picked a plain, grey dress to put over herself. "Help me with the back?"

Cass turned at Jaime's nod and froze as his fingers trailed down her spine, brushing through the underclothes, the thin cotton garment, as they deftly buttoned the back of her dress. Her breathing was heavy again, but she managed a smile as she turned around, her arms crossed against her chest. "Thank you."

"Of course."

She removed the pearls from her discarded night dress and put them in a little pouch Jaime had on his stolen belt. She also placed her rings in there, hesitating to take off Robb's. "Okay." The small direwolf seemed to stare at her, and she could not look at it any longer. _I am no wolf. I am Lady Cassana Baratheon of Storm's End. _She dropped the silver ring in the satchel. "I'm ready."

She left her silk nightgown and her furs in exchange for the poorer outfit and a velvet blue cloak. The farmer and his wife didn't say goodbye to them as they exited the house. And Cass would wait until they were further in the village to buy horses.

The stable was further in the town, and any questions of why a Stark man needed a horse with some girl were silenced as Cass put 50 golden dragons on the table.

"Those must have been heavy boots," Jaime said as he led his own brown horse out of the stable.

"Lighter though than carrying me to White Harbor." She wondered briefly how much wine Robert had expected her to buy. _Enough to get pissed a hundred times over. _They were able to get two horses, not nearly as young and healthy as Cass wanted, but beggars couldn't afford to be picky over food. "How far is White Harbor from here?"

"Days," Jaime groaned, rubbing his new hair. "Gods, I should have just killed the men who recognized me instead of letting you cut it."

"That would have taken too long," She smiled at his joking, and a hint of the old Jaime came back to her.

* * *

When they were out of the village, Jaime fell back with his horse, letting Cass lead. That was a mistake of course, for Cass did not know the way to White Harbor at all. She knew it was north and on the water, but the Riverlands were laden with thousands of small streams and waterways. But Jaime would whistle at her every so often and redirect her, and she had to wonder how he knew the way so well. _He claims to not know anything besides swords, but that's not the truth. _She turned around to look at him again. There were small cuts on his face still.

"What?" Jaime asked.

Her face must have looked weird. Cass turned around and faced forward. There was still that red comet in the sky, but it did not seem that important to her as it did to some of the other soldiers and men she had briefly talked to back with Robb's host. She looked to the ground again to navigate her horse across the mud and sloping grounds. But then her dark eyes strayed back to Jaime.

"Cass, stop. You're neck is going to break."

"I'm just curious why you're behind me."

"Why, think I'll run away? Stab you in the back?"

She bristled. "You know I don't." Cass halted her horse and dismounted, her stomach hurting. "And those jokes are getting old, Jaime. If you want everyone to stop calling you Kingslayer, stop bringing the moment up." She grinned and stretched her arms. "I know we should be galloping for miles in fear of them finding us, but I'm hungry."

"And whiny apparently. Fine." Jaime followed her down and took the scabbard off of his belt. "Keep this in case someone comes." He unsheathed the small dagger and walked through the marshes.

It was not long before Jaime came back with a small slimy creature in his hands. The thing was dead and too small, in Cass' opinion, to share. But Jaime set it down on a rock and brandished the dagger again. He raised an eyebrow as she handed him the long sword, the metal weapon looking clumsy and too big in her hands. Jaime gestured with his fingers, "Come here, Cassana."

She gave a look to the horses, making sure they were okay, and then sat down across from Jaime. The small fish lay between them, flat and dead on the rock slate. Jaime grabbed it by the tail. "Ever skinned a fish before?"

Cass shot him an incredulous look. "You're joking, right?"

"I forgot who I was speaking to." He handed her the dagger, and Cass stared at it dumbly. Jaime moved next to her and put his larger hand on top of her own, guiding it smoothly across the scales of the fish. The silver peeled off in slivers, ribbons of metallic flesh. "Good, Cass."

"Is that a compliment?" She reddened a bit. It was a rare thing to hear a compliment from his mouth when it came to anything with a sharp edge. "Ser Jaime Lannister complimenting me on my hand technique." Cass looked at their hands together. For whatever reason, the contact felt natural. She relaxed under his touch, at his rhythmic breathing hitting the nape of her neck. "I'm honored."

"As you should be." He took his grip off her hand, but Jaime still sat behind her. His chest was close to her back, but neither of them tried to move. Cass attempted to stay focus on the fish. "Can I ask you a question, Cass?"

His phrasing surprised her. Normally, Jaime didn't ask to ask her anything. He just said it, expecting an answer, though whether she gave one or not was a different story. Cass steadied her hand on the hilt of the small dagger. The air was misty and cloudy. She was afraid it would rain soon. "I suppose you can."

"Did you want to marry him?"

The blade almost slipped over her finger. Cass dropped it, scared of the metal suddenly, and held up the fish. "Is this alright?"

Jaime grabbed the wrist holding the fish and set it down back on the rock. "Cassana."

"I don't know," Cass said honestly. "But he's...kind, Jaime. And he wants to do what's right for his family. I respect that."

"Respect doesn't mean you want to fuck him and have his children."

"Marriage doesn't meant that either." She wanted to turn around and face him, so she did. Jaime was right there, right in front of her, and Cass inhaled. He still looked like him. His eyes were still green. Somehow they stood out more with the short brown hair. "Is it my turn now?"

"What?"

"I'm asking you a question." Though even as she stared at him, confident and eyes not flinching, Cass felt herself hesitate inside. "Why aren't you going to the Red Keep? Why are you still here?"

He smirked and said, "I don't know."

"Oh, come now. That's not fair."

"It's _exactly _fair." Jaime reached behind her and grabbed the fish. "I won't bother asking if you've eaten this raw. Just watch out for the bones."

* * *

Days passed when they were just out of the Riverlands. The Stark men had not followed them. _Maybe they do not wish to find me. _ But that thought was unlikely. It was likelier, Cass realized, that they were looking for them in the completely wrong direction. Why would she and Jaime Lannister head deeper North? Deeper into unknown land when Tywin Lannister and the Red Keep were in the other direction?

_ Because I am as much as a Lannister as I am a Stark. _ There were times in Robb's tent that she had forgotten that, forgotten the family she had left. They were broken, yes, but they weren't dead. Even Viserys had been reported to fight back for his throne, and he was banished on another continent. Who was she to deny her brothers?

_Robb doesn't want the throne though. _She felt his hands on her body, saw his smile and eyes when they walked past the small rivers carving through the lands. _My chest hurts. _ Cass rubbed her collarbone. _My legs hurt too._

They were taking a break from the horses' saddles. Cass' thighs hurt from the friction. She hated wearing dresses on a horse and she was jealous of Jaime in all his leather and armor. "I'm sore."

He smirked at her, "Obviously not used to riding then. Not even wolves."

"I imagine them to be softer." She did not like what he was suggesting. "Jaime?"

The knight was unbridling his horse, letting it graze on the frosted grass. "What?"

_I'm still a maiden. Knights only rescue maidens. _ "I'm not sure if I should be thanking you right now or trying to escape."

He laughed, low and quickly. "You forget that I am bringing you to Stannis Baratheon, Cass, and back to your dear family—something my sister failed to do."

Cass let her own horse join Jaime's. "She'll hate you for this."

"She won't."

"She wants me to rot, Jaime. Cersei wants me dead."

"Well she won't get that, will she?" He sounded angry. The Kingslayer drew his sword and examined it, seeming unsatisfied with something about it. "I think you should be more worried about your sibling."

"Stannis will not deny me."

"Yes, but Renly might."

Renly was already furious with her for not leaving Ned Stark at the Red Keep and going with Loras Tyrell. Cass thought of what Loras said, that Renly would have given her to him if he was not of his Kingsguard. _If I went to Highgarden, he'd give me to Willas Tyrell, no doubt. _"He'll just have to get over it."

"Just as he'll get over Stannis' claim?"

She bristled. "Stannis is the true heir, Jaime. Not even you can deny that."

"I will—only in public, of course."

"Only where it counts."

"I would gladly admit about Cersei and me if I could."

That surprised her, but then again, why should it have? He loved her. "You'd marry her, wouldn't you?" Cass asked, sitting on the ground, suddenly finding the frost terribly interesting.

Jaime swallowed, eyes darting down. "The Targaryens did."

"The Lannisters aren't the Targaryens."

"Yes, I've been told."

She swallowed at the question she wanted to ask, at what Jaime's reaction could possibly be to it. But she figured if…if she were going to understand him, understand his reasoning, she needed to know. In order to see Jaime completely and judge him completely, she needed to ask. "When did this start?"

He chuckled. "You're asking me that? You're actually _curious_ about my relationship with my sister?"

"Yes."

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Cass didn't know what to say. _There's a reason for every evil, even this one, and I want to know what it is that drove you to it. _ How would he respond to that? "It was when you were children, I bet."

"Stop it, Cass."

"Did she approach you? I think she did. I think she would…"

"STOP!" Jaime stood over her, his face red and sweaty. "Do not talk about Cersei."

She shrunk under him, the Kingslayer apparent to her eyes again. Cass coughed. "I don't know why you're doing this, Jaime. I don't know why you bothered to _rescue _me." And then she got up and walked away, screaming back to him that she had to make water.

Cass knelt in the grass, grabbing clumps and throwing them around. _Did I do the right thing? _ Jaime was not following her. Robb's men would not find her. _What does he think of me? _ Her mind went to two directions—the two men that she was suddenly thrown with. She wondered if Robb would think she was kidnapped or think she betrayed him. She wondered if he would be hunting to save her or kill her…if he was even hunting her at all. _I wonder if the man Jaime maimed can write. _The thought sent a chill up her spine.

And Jaime.

Jaime hated her. Well, she thought he did. _But then why is he taking me to White Harbor? Why is he not going back to King's Landing?_

__And she thought she hated him too. She…

Cass turned around to where she had left Jaime with his sword. There were the sounds of horses, and Cass suspected that he probably wanted to leave soon. But then there was metal and talking and…

She started sprinting back to the camp before she could process what was happening. Cass' mouth fell open when she saw the men on horses and then she turned to the Kinglsayer, nervous,, only to see Jaime send her back a smirk. "See? I wasn't lying at all. That's my lady right there. That's Shireen. I'm flattered though."

He was talking to three men on horseback. The towers were on their breasts and Cass flinched. _Freys? What are they doing here? _They must have been closer to the twins than Cass thought.

"Never trust a Lannister's lies I say," One of them did say.

"But I thought that we…"

"Shut up!" The last one said. He was taller than the other two, with brown hair. "This man says that he's Edric Snow. Weird name. Uncommon, definitely. Especially since I swear to the Seven he looks like Jaime Lannister who's recently escaped King Robb's camps. Very weird indeed." He sniffed, "And you are Shireen?"

Cass realized how ridiculous that sounded now. _If anyone knows anything about my brother Stannis, they will see we are lying. _"Yes."

"Stranger and stranger. Weird then, that this Edric _Snow_ is wearing am expensive looking gold and black ring about his neck. But you can't be Shireen Baratheon. Oh no. She's ugly. And leagues away, mind you."

She turned to Jaime, shocked, confused by what this Frey just said. "And who are you, good lord?"

"I'll give you the honor of my real name, girl. Jammos Frey. And my guess is he's not the Baratheon. I can recognize a lion any day, even if he's hiding in wolfskins."

Jaime sneered. "Get off your horse old man, and I'll show you who I am."

"Jaime!" Cass shouted, covering her mouth at the word.

The three men on the horses laughed, but Jaime raised a hand to calm her and them. "They already knew that, Cass. Don't worry."

"But we didn't know that." Jammos Frey's eyes widened. "Cassana Baratheon, yes?"

She did not say anything.

The Frey to his right sneered. "You're kidding, right? King Robb was supposed to marry her, wasn't he? That's what he said. He said he'd marry her and that's why he couldn't listen to grandfather's…"

Jammos stopped him, "I know what he said, Walder."

"Then why is she with the Kingslayer?"

"Kidnapped her. Terrible luck, isn't it?" Jaime picked up his sword, and all three men turned noticeably scared. Their faces became pallid and looked even more like weasels, if possible. "And because you're Tully bannermen, I suppose I have to kill you. That's worse luck, I'd say. Don't you agree?"

"No, no! We aren't!" Walder Frey screamed holding out his hands in panic and causing Jammos to dismount and approach Jaime.

Jammos gestured to the two other Freys, who also dismounted. "We mean peace, Ser Jaime. You may think we are Hoster Tully's men, but my lord father made different arrangements with your own."

Cass' mouth drooped a bit, and she swore she didn't hear him correctly, "Excuse me?"

"Shut up," Jaime scolded immediately. His voice was hard, but his face read differently. "You've been talking with my father? Lord Tywin?"

"Aye, Ser. You can come with us to the Twins too. We'll be sure to help you take care of the Baratheon girl."

"Take care of her?" Jaime eyed Cass. His green eyes shifted up and down, across her body, and Cass squirmed. "She looks fine to me."

_Thank you, Jaime. _She crossed her arms over her breasts again.

"Still, I think Lord Walder would like to _meet _her."

Jaime shook his head. "No, I don't see that happening."

"Well at least tell us why you're taking her."

Jaime scratched his beard. "I don't really see that happening either."

Jammos Frey laughed a bit, "Ser Jaime, you can trust me on this. Lord Frey has been dealing with your father for some time now. Ever since…well…_this_ girl…"

"You know what I _do_ see happening, Jammos?" Jaime grabbed the hilt of the sword with both of his hands, holding the point into the dirt. The Frey raised an eyebrow in confusion, only to have his face twist into terror as Jaime swung the long sword at his neck, attempting to hack his head off.

The swipe wasn't clean, and although Jammos Frey was dying, Jaime had to kick on his chest in order to get his sword out of the man's throat. "Fuck," Jaime cursed as he saw the other two men attempt to mount their horses. He grabbed one down, but he did not have time to try and get the other.

Cass saw Walder Frey struggle to climb on top of his horse. She ran towards him, grabbing his boot first in order to get enough leverage to reach his neck. Frey struggled, but she dragged him down, causing him to topple off his horse and into the dirt. She wrestled him until she was mounted on his back, legs grapevining within his own as she held his neck in a chokehold.

She heard a scream from behind her, but it wasn't coming from Jaime. The Lannister moved behind Cass, a dagger in his hand. He said "Choking is too slow," and slid the metal blade across Walder Frey's neck. Her breath was racing, her heart pounding in her chest-jarring and fluid, like an overflowing river-but she heard him say, "Let go of him, Cass."

She threw the corpse off herself. His blood was covering her arms—warm and sticky- and she fell back onto her hands. _He's…he's…_

"Get their stuff. Their horses already ran off, but there should be things in their pockets."

She hung on to Jaime's voice, doing exactly what his words said even though she felt like she couldn't walk. Cass stumbled on her feet, and ripped through their clothes her eyes couldn't see clearly and she kept dropping the coppers on the ground.

"Hey, hey." Jaime's sword was on the ground and he grabbed her hands. "Cass, I don't have time for you to freak out."

"…they said…we have to tell Robb."

He scowled. "We have to get to White Harbor."

"But…"

"Do you have a raven, Cass?" Jaime turned around, visibly frustrated with her. He continued to rob Jammos Frey's corpse. "Do you have paper? Ink?"

"But Jaime…"

"Do you want to turn back and tell him then? And tell him _what_ exactly? It's all just a bunch of shit-eating lies so that I wouldn't cut off their heads…not like this blade is sharp enough to do so."

She swallowed. He was probably right, and Cass had another question for him. She tried to ignore the bodies on the ground, but the smell was so invasive. "You have my ring."

It was on his chest, around Stannis' chain. She knew Robb wasn't wearing it anymore, and a part of her just thought it was due to battle and how it'd get in the way-things Jaime had said to her while she trained. But there it was in plain sight. On _Jaime_. "You took it from him."

"Aye, I suppose I did. A favor, was it?" He took the chain off his neck and tossed it to her, picking up his sword afterwards. "I'm surprised you didn't see it until now. What the eye can be blind to when it doesn't want to see."

"Jaime, you…" She shook her head, "_Why?_"

"I should not have to spell it out for you." He walked away, towards where he left the bridle, and tacked up his horse, doing the same to Cass'. "Come, let's go. Gods know Frey has enough children to scour through this whole area."

She took her horses reins, but didn't mount. "Tell me first."

He stiffened. "I shouldn't have to, Cass. You are still just a girl, aren't you? The fact that you even have to…"

"You don't love me."

Jaime turned back to her when she said that, the reins from his own horse dropping. "Can we not discuss this while you have blood on your arms?" He turned around to look at the bodies. "And not after I just _killed _three men?"

Cass' head was swimming, adrenaline and a rush of other emotions swarming into her chest and brain. She mounted the horse, shaking her head, and distracting her mind. But still the thought was there, eating at her. "You can't love me." The horse began walking away from the scene, and Jaime was following her. She wiped the blood on the saddle blanket. "You don't."

"Don't and can't are incredibly different." Jaime faced forward, green eyes focused. "But, I think, I wouldn't dismiss either of them."

_What? _ She would have nearly fallen if her horse had done anything but walk. Cass coughed, gripping Stannis' chain and her ring in her palm so tightly that she thought it might bruise. _Jaime…Jaime, you don't love me. _ She shook her head again. "You love Cersei. You're getting it wrong."You don't love me, Jaime. Stop lying. All Lannisters lie, don't they? They do. Stop it. Don't lie to me ever again."

His head fell down. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it now." He turned back to her, but Cass' body was hunched. "Sit up straight. Give me the ring back. I'm hiding it with the pearls. We don't need anyone else recognizing us. We have to _go_, Cassana." He hit his horse with the ends of his reins and started galloping.

* * *

A/N:  
Thanks for reading :D


	15. Division

A/N:

I am a terrible author that forgot to be so so excited and grateful from last posting about reaching over 100 reviews! AH! I'm sure as all you fellow authors know, reviews are so much fun to get, and it's one of the reasons why I love fanfic so much. So just another THANKS to all my readers and those reviewers that make me smile. Since last post:

_MutiaRawr_(Say what? I joke.), _Guest_ (Ah, so many specifics! I'm glad you liked all those aspects. And to answer your question, I half made him up. Jammos is from ASOIAF, technically, though I don't think GRRM has given him a big role. So I decided to kill him. Eh.), _slasher-film_ (Maybe they'll get better! or worse. Silly GoT), _Allimba _(Glad you liked it!), _meri_ (I like the action/ need a way to inject more in, so I'm glad you liked it), _SeerStormborn_ (That girl can't make up her mind!), _Honor is a horse_ (Complicated is a good word to describe them. And I'm enjoying the complicated too. And thanks! You should nominate the ones you think are the best.. If it so happens to be mine, I won't complain...), _Guest _(Hehe tension is the best part!), and _Guest _(That question will actually be answered in this chapter! :D)

This one has its highs and lows.

Disclaimer: I do not own GoT or ASOIAF. So many acronyms!

* * *

They didn't talk much after that. Jaime did not say anything to her, and Cass…she didn't know what to say. She thought her mind would be rampant, overrun with thoughts and confusion—tearing itself apart over what was happening, over Jaime's motives, over _her_ alliances.

_You cannot play this game forever._

She focused her eyes ahead. They had been riding for so long, and she no longer knew how far away White Harbor was. It was getting colder, if that was a good sign, and she trusted that Jaime knew where he was going.

The Kingslayer rode ahead of her now, head never turning back. He only spoke to her when he decided to leave and catch rabbits or squirrels or anything else on the plain that could be used as food. She would thank him, start a fire, skin the creature, and they would eat—silent again. _I do not know how much longer I can do this._

Her loyalties needed to be simpler than this, Cass decided. Once she was reunited with Stannis, they would lie with her house alone—no Starks or Lannisters or anything else that could possibly get in her way. _I will follow Stannis. I will. _Any thought beyond that was too muddied.

If she supported Jaime, she supported Joffrey, which was something she could never do. As much as she wanted to believe Jaime—and though she did believe he wanted to help her—she wasn't sure how far his loyalties strayed from his own house, from his sister. _After White Harbor he will ride back to her. _The thought made her nauseous. _He will go back to King's Landing in a heartbeat or less._

The Starks were harder to ignore. They did nothing to spur any hatred from her and have had only good intentions for their family. _It is that which will get them killed. Stannis will not care about good intentions. _ She had warned Robb of this, just as Jaime had warned her once about Ned Stark. _But my brother will be reasonable._

He would be. He had to be. He had to remember Renly and why he could not fight him. He would be reminded when he saw her. He would.

_Stop it._

She had to turn it off, these thoughts of houses and banners and where she lied. _If I were a wolf, I'd be a lone one. _Cass suddenly thought of Sansa's wolf—Lady. She wondered how the girl felt when her father killed her.

That girl had given up her loyalties too, with more grace and honor than Cass ever could. She did not flip flop. She bit back the harsher words and forswore her father. But the hatred in her eyes was there, behind the meek curtseying girl. Cass saw that she was Stark through and through. There was no doubt in her mind of that, even as Sansa was promised to her nephew.

Darkness was already coming. Jaime had built a fire, and they both huddled close to it after tying up their horses. They sat on opposite ends from each other, Cass' eyes looking up at him every so often. _This is stupid. _"Jaime, about before…"

"You were good back there." Jaime cracked his knuckles. "I didn't tell you before, but if you hadn't stopped Walder Frey, he'd be yelling about us throughout the whole Twins."

"Yes." She remembered the cut across Walder's throat, the red soaking her arms, sticking to thin hairs and filling her nose with smells of salt and metal. Cass saw nothing good about it except that she was not dead. "I suppose I was lucky you trained me."

"I haven't in awhile," Jaime admitted. "I think you're due."

"What?"

"Get up."

She did what he said, albeit slowly. "Boots on?"

"Off. I don't need you hitting me with pounds of gold dragons, no doubt." He took the Stark uniform off, tugging the multiple layers of padding over his shoulders. There was nothing underneath when he was done. The rags had been tossed out, and Jaime had been nice enough, Cass supposed, to leave the tongue-less guard in his underclothes.

Cass swallowed.

He was still thinner than he used to be. She had…never really seen him shirtless before, but she could see his ribs on his sides, see his collarbone and shoulder blades and abdominal muscles more defined than they should have been. There was dried blood on his chest, sticking to the fine gold hair. And there were scars—old and new—everywhere, littering his body. _I wonder if he knows how he got them all._

She wondered when her image of him started to become this. Ser Jaime Lannister was notorious, but she didn't really remember thinking that way about him herself. He was her friend for a long time. A mentor and teacher, but _now_? Cass bit her lip. _And what am I to him now? _She hadn't looked like a little girl for a long while, despite her feeling otherwise at times.

"Cassana!"

She moved towards him and away from the fire, though Jaime's face was still shadowed with orange and yellow flame. His hair almost looked blond again, his eyes like wildfire—green and dangerous and too, too bright. Cass knelt down in the dirt, her plain dress falling with her. "Submissions?"

"Yes."

"If you make a noise it means you yield." Cass stretched her arms and looked him in the eyes. "I've missed this, Jaime."

He smiled, a half, lazy smile, and knelt down in front of her, grabbing her neck with one hand.

Quick as a cat, he pulled her down, legs trying to go over her, to straddle her stomach and leave her back on the floor. But Cassana anticipated Jaime's motion and rolled from under him, hiding her neck and her legs and arms so that Jaime couldn't grab her. She tugged at his arm, using his shoulder as leverage as she mounted his back. Her feet locked together, wrapping around his waist. Jaime stayed on his hands and knees, laughing. He turned his head to try and face her, "Does that count as a noise?"

"Of course it doesn't."

"Good." He pushed back on her, until he was smashing her back on the ground, causing Cass to let go of her grip on his torso. Jaime turned around to face her and held her arms to her side, slipping his legs across her, pushing, smoothing her stomach with his knee. Cass' breath was heavy, and her heart was aching, pulling. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel like fighting anymore when Jaime was on top of her, smirking, eyes shining with the rush of physical exertion. "A lion over a stag." Jaime stretched her arms over her head. "Seems appropriate."

"You win," Cass whispered, suddenly afraid. She remembered his words from before and they frightened her. Her voice felt weak; her whole body felt weak under him.

"Don't make it so easy, Cassana."

She tried to buck him off with her hips, but Jaime stayed planted, only smiling more.

He grinned and pushed against her, "Yes, keep trying. Harder though."

She stopped. Her face felt hot, and instead, she tried to pull her arms out. "I yield."

"You shouldn't though." Jaime's hands fell to her wrists. "You know why we practiced this, don't you?"

She nodded. "Robert wanted you to teach me to protect myself."

"Robert wanted to make sure you wouldn't lose your maidenhood." His arms went lower on her forearms, then her biceps, sliding across her prickling skin. "Prematurely."

Sweat started to drip down her forehead. Jaime's eyes were no longer focused on her face, and she felt her own stray to his lower chest, the leather pants falling on his hips with his sword and belt thrown away. His hands were calloused on her arms. They were dirty and bloody too. "I suppose you did a good job then." Her voice sounded deeper than she intended.

Jaime's green eyes became enlarged at her statement, and his hands only fell lower, lower until they were flanking her breasts. The wide palms squeezed her sides, and Cass kept her arms up, just staring at his eyes as she struggled to breathe.

"Should we test this fully then?" He moved his hands right on the top of her rib cage, sliding the cloth of her bodice close to her body. Jaime whispered, "Should we see if my training was that effective?"

The rocks from the ground tinged her spine when Jaime pushed down on her torso, and Cass flinched up, meeting him closer. She didn't know what to say. The thoughts in her head slowed incredibly, until they almost seemed not to occur at all. The only thing she could think of was those green eyes and his hands moving under her breasts, then on top, then…

She pushed him away. Her palms fell flat on his cold chest, and she straightened her dress down over her calves. "I can't do this."

"You can't?" Jaime remained on the ground. "Or you don't want to?"

_I want to. _ She licked her lips. They felt chapped just thinking of it. Cass would be lying if she said she didn't think Jaime was attractive, if she didn't think about how he'd look over her with more than just his shirts off. _No…I can't. _"You don't want to either, Jaime."

He snorted and stood up. His right hand methodically went through his hair, though the locks were still short. "What makes you say that?"

_Cersei makes me say that. I am not her. Nor do I wish to be her substitute. _"You'll be betraying someone in the process."

"And what's to say I still care about that?" Jaime walked closer to her. "What's to say that I give two shits about her anymore?"

"You do." She could see it in his face. "You do, Jaime. And I do too." Cass rubbed her arm. "I give two shits about someone."

He swallowed, seeming almost anxious, and then said in a low, solemn voice, "I don't want to think about that right now." Jaime grabbed her arm, lightly pulling her closer until their noses touched, until she could feel his hot breath in her face, his own sweat mixing with hers. Her mouth parted a little bit when he kissed her, his lips even more dry than her own. He broke away from her and licked them, right before kissing her on the cheek, and then down on the side of her neck.

Her whole face felt hot. "Jaime…"

"You're sweet." Jaime moved up again to her mouth, stopping her from any further speech. He was so warm—Cass thought—warm and rough. His hands moved to her waist, tugging her closer, making her never want to break this, to end this, but the tongue on her lip made her recoil away.

She shook her head, "Stop it."_This would never work. _ _This…I don't even know what this is. I don't know what you're doing. _ Her voice cracked at the next word, and she felt salt water on her lips. "Jaime, stop!"

"Cassana, I'm…"

"You're not sorry." Cass said for him. She touched her own lips, eyes downcast. _I'm not either. I…_ "Jaime, what are you doing?"

His face became rigid. Jaime inhaled deeply and took a step away from her. "White Harbor is close." He turned back to the horses. "And you're right. I'm not sorry, and I won't try to apologize again. But I'd appreciate if you didn't tell your brother about that. I'd like to keep my head."

* * *

She didn't know how much passage to Dragonstone would cost in times of war, nor was she certain how much money Robert had sewn into her other shoe. But she wanted to get away. She wanted to sprint or gallop and then swim to Dragonstone if she had to.

The air between her and the Kingslayer did not get any better. He would throw a joke or two her way, and she would laugh, politely, forcefully, when all she could think of in her head was him kissing her. _Stop it. Who cares what Jaime did? It does not matter._

It felt like it didn't. Hours after it happened, her lips stopped tasting strange. The throbbing had stopped and her legs finally felt strong again. But she couldn't look at him anymore…not the same way. Cass was angry with him but afraid. She was excited by what happened but also regretful.

That night they had stopped near the river, their backs resting on the grounds yards away from each other. Her thin cloak was wrapped over her shoulders and body, but they were so north now. She was so cold. Cass looked back to Jaime, but the Kingslayer didn't move. He stayed frozen—asleep or not, she did not know.

But the cold was swallowing her whole. The cold and the sound of the water running, rushing, constantly rushing…

Cass stood up and put on her cloak. She could not sleep anymore, did not even dare to try. She walked down the riverbed. It was small…probably not a river, though Cass didn't know its proper name. A stream maybe? Or one of those bubbling brooks. She had no idea, and frankly, it did not seem that important to her. _White Harbor is close. _Her eyes looked up. She could see the lights from the city near. She had never been to this city. It was the smallest of the five capitals, but still it should have been large. It was still a way out.

But she did not think it was _this _small. The buildings were no taller than houses, most seeming smaller than that to her eyes. _My perception is off. That is all. _ But White Harbor looked similar to something else she knew.

Her eyes fell down, afraid, and she caught something else in the dark. They were blue and across the river or brook. Cass knelt down. _They're eyes. _ They shone in the dark, and she stayed in the mud. _Who are you?_

__Grey Wind had yellow eyes. They were deep and yellow like the sun in a clouded sky, and this wolf seemed to have yellow eyes too, but then strangely, they appeared blue again to her. She shrunk away. _I'm sorry. _She looked at the wolf across from her. He was huge, and suddenly her mind was wandering. _You're half Tully, aren't you? You have to understand then. I'm a Baratheon, Robb. I'm no Stark. I'm not._

It was only when she broke eye contact that the wolf ran away. Cass felt nauseous again. Her hands fumbled through her hair. "I'm going mad." She shook her head and looked back to White Harbor before returning back to their small camp. "Jaime?"

He didn't stir, and Cass knelt down in front of Jaime Lannister. "Jaime?" She touched his shoulder, and the man stirred, hand retreating towards the sword he still wore on his belt.

Jaime's face twisted. "Gods, we can wait until dawn, Cass."

"…I see something. Lights."

"It's White Harbor."

"No, it isn't."

He seemed annoyed with her, but his face eased when he got a better look at her face. Jaime sat up and turned around to where Cass was facing. His eyes narrowed and then he grabbed her hand. "It's a war camp."

_Yes. _ Cass swallowed. "You need to get out of here."

Jaime's grip on her tightened. "No."

"Jaime, you…"

"What if it's the wolves out for your blood, Cassana?"

_They don't want my blood. They want me safe. _ She knew that. She didn't know how she could be so confident with the Starks, but she was. And she was also confident of another thing. "It's my brother."

Jaime stood up. "Now I know you're mad."

"Take both horses around to White Harbor and sell one. Sail to Lannisport or something. Sail to Kings Landing." _Just get out of here, Jaime. Get out. _ Cass did not want to see this man in chains again. She would not allow him to be hurt because of her.

"Stop being ridiculous, Cass. I won't leave you."

She swallowed. "This is Stannis, Jaime. He will hold you hostage or cut off your head, even if he doesn't know." Cass licked her lips, her dark eyes falling. "Gods know why, but if you love me at all, you'll leave and be safe."

He dropped her hand. "I thought I could only love one woman in my life, Cass. I thought we were of the same blood, the same being."

She fidgeted at his voice, at his reasoning and what she was going to say next. "Then go back to her."

Jaime hesitated, and then said angrily. "I'm so fucking _tired_ of all of this. I'm fucking tired of hiding my feelings."

_Then scream it from the rooftops, scream it from the steps of Baelor. _That was one way to end a war. "Then don't." Cass said. "Admit them to the world or stop complaining, Jaime. Those are the only two options."

"You make it sound so simple."

"You're the one that's making it complicated."

"And what about _you_?" Jaime didn't move closer. He didn't reach for her hand or even look at her directly. "I love you, Cass." Jaime paused, letting the words hang in the air, letting those words creep over to Cassana in the cold air and stick, brand themselves on her mind. She froze and he sniffed. "Now what am I supposed to do about that?"

Her face and hands felt numb at his admission. Cass pulled at her hair, nervous. "Nothing. You shouldn't do anything except go home. Fulfill your promise to me and stop this war."

"You expect me to just go now back to the Red Keep?" Jaime was frustrated. His hands were clenched and he was staring at her. "You want me to go back there after what they have done to you?"

_Yes. Leave me. Get out of my life so that this is easier. _It would have been so much easier. He and Robb Stark were making everything messy. She pushed away what he just said to her. That he…it didn't matter. Whatever she felt about Jaime didn't matter now. It never really mattered.

_Ours is the fury. _Not theirs. Cass looked to the war camp ahead. "You think Cersei sent me away because you love me."

"I know she did." Jaime shook his head. "Cass…"

"You don't love me though." She insisted. "You can't love both of us."

Jaime huffed, "Loving one person means you can't love another?" He laughed. "Stop pretending you don't know what it's like to be torn, Cassana."

"At least I've decided. I picked Stannis."

"That wasn't what I meant."

She faltered at that. Her lips throbbed again, her heart hurt, and she really felt like retching. "I don't want you to love me, Jaime," Cass spat. "You're a Lannister. You're a man of the Kingsguard. You…you have nothing to offer me. No title. No land. Not even marriage." She couldn't look at him directly. "I don't know what you expect me to do."

"I…I don't…"

"I want my ring," Cass interrupted and held out her hand. She didn't want to hear anymore. She didn't want her mind to be even more tangled than it already was. She let the tears dry on her face. "I want my mother's ring back."

Jaime's hand went to his belt. "So I _can't_ love you, that's it then. I don't deserve to?"

_No, Jaime. You…_ "We're not even supposed to be friends anymore. Our houses are at war." _Ours is the fury. _"You're not supposed to love me either." She waited for the ring to be dropped into her hand, Stannis' chain still on it. She remembered what it meant now—the chain. She was three and back in Storm's End.

_ "Even if a link is broken, Cassana, it can always be reforged. It may be smaller, less beautiful than before, but it's there. It'll always be."  
_Cass wanted to go back there. She wanted all of this to go away. It was too cold here. She was surrounded by lions and wolves everywhere she looked.

Jaime didn't say another word, and only gestured his right hand forward, beckoning her to leave.

And she did. She never looked back, only stopping an hour later to heave.

* * *

A/N:

It's not over til it's over, so no one fret too much yet!  
Thanks for reading and drop a quick review if you'd be so kind :)


	16. Familiar Encounters

A/N:

Many thanks again for all of my readers and reviewers! Just a heads up that things get a little political for a while. Um, yeah.

_Allimba _(Thank you and here it is!), _Anon_ (Glad you don't mind the separation! And you're right...they are both in for some interesting times ahead. Oh, Stannis. He may make an appearance soon...), _Slasher-Film _(I hope Cass didn't make you too angry! and I hope you didn't mind waiting a week!), _Guest _(Ack, hope your heart's okay! haha, here's the next one!), _Guest _(So complicated! Poor Jaime. Poor Cass. But don't worry! here's the next one), (You'll get to see soon and thanks for the review!), and _Guest _ (glad you love it!).

Disclaimer: I do not own GoT or ASOIAF. Boo.

* * *

_The Red Keep was too big for her, even though she had been there for two years already. Her Septa had dismissed her early for whatever reason and she was wandering, lost, dazed. Cassana did not know how to get back to her room, and the men that usually watched her had gone to eat or train or something similar while she was with her Septa still. _

_ So she wandered. Her small footsteps got her nowhere too fast, but she walked and walked down and up different towers. But mostly she went down. It was cold down below, and she was drawn to it. King's Landing got hot, and she escaped the heated light and found herself surrounded in darkness._

_ She was too young to be scared of real dangers, and the scary things her wet nurse told her about would not be found in the Red Keep with her brothers and guards so close by. And she could always scream if she had to. Robert said she was good at screaming._

_ Casssana soon realized she was too lost when the stairs stopped going down. The air was starting to smell funny—like that weird cheese Queen Cersei liked to eat—and water was even dripping on her. She squirmed through the darkness, fear starting to creep towards her, until she saw a small wooden door._

_ The latch to the door was already unlocked, and Cass went into the small room. It was illuminated with a dozen or so candles, each lighted recently it seemed. The wax hadn't even started to melt too much yet. But Cass didn't really notice that. All she saw was the giant head in the room—no not head, but skull. The giant skull sat there, a monster in the dark, and she started to back away, the scary stories coming back to her._

_ "Shhh."_

_ She stiffened at the voice and the shadow of a man on the far side of the room, sitting on the ground with his head down. Cass didn't move towards him and the man didn't move either. "Who are you?"_

_ "Little girls don't belong here."_

_ She supposed he was right. This thing was strange, dark, and scary. She didn't belong here, but she was curious. "What's that?"_

_ "A dragon," the man answered, still on the floor and not sharing his name._

_ "There are no more dragons. Dragons are dead." Cass walked over towards the skull, reaching up to the top to try and touch it, but her little arms could not reach. "Were they big? They look big."  
The man grunted. "How should I know? Girl, you should leave. Someone's probably looking for you."_

_ "I don't care." Cass kept reaching. Dragons were huge, and they were magical. Her Septa had her try and read stories about the dragons and their riders in some books, and they were always in songs too. "I wish dragons were still real."  
"Your brother would not be sitting on that seat if they were. Come now." He stood up, and Cass saw a flash of blond hair illuminate as he walked past a candle and towards her. "If you're going to keep talking, I have no point in staying here. Let's go back before someone thinks you've been stolen."  
Cass edged away. "I'm not supposed to go with strangers."_

_ "You're not supposed to _talk_ to strangers either, little girl, but here you are." He smirked at her and dragged up the end of his cape. "See? White."_

_ She saw his green eyes then too and smiled. "You look just like the queen."_

_ "I guess we should look alike. Come, Lady Cassana."_

_ "You know who I am too!" She attempted to curtsy then, but Cass just bowed her head a bit while holding out her dress. It was clumsy, but the man laughed at her anyway, running his right hand through his hair. "Who are you?"_

_ "Never mind that, Lady Cassana."_

_ "I don't really like being called Lady Cassana." She pouted. "That's my mother."_

_ He frowned then. "I hope that didn't make you sad. I don't want to deal with your crying."_

_ She shrugged, "_You're_ the one that looks sad. Why are you here? You're one of Robert's white guards. You should be around him all the time. That's what Robert says."_

_ "Your brother rather not have me around all the time." The white guard as she called him grabbed her hand and started to lead her out through the wooden door. "And I was just thinking."_

_ "We're all just thinking. That's what Stannis says. We always think."_

_ "You'd be surprised, Cassana, at how wrong that is." He laughed at her confused face. "But I was just thinking of those dragons."_

_ Cass scrunched her face. "You seem scared. Are you a knight?"_

_ He hesitated at the question. The blond man shrugged his shoulders but said, "Yes."_

_ "In the songs, the knights always kill the dragons. It's _always_ the ending. So there's no reason to be scared, Ser."_

_ "They only tell you the most recent songs, don't they? Better for a Baratheon, I suppose."_

_ They were silent for a while. She liked how tightly the man was holding her hand, like he was really scared and she was protecting him from something. But Cass still struggled to grasp at his name. She stopped suddenly when she remembered what Queen Cersei used to be before she was draped in the gold and black cape of her own house. The man grumbled, being tugged back, but Cass said, "You're a lion."_

"_Yes."_

"_Are you Lord Tywin?"_

_"Tywin is not of the Kingsguard." The man sniffed. "He's my father."_

_ "He's Cersei's father."_

_ "Cersei is my sister, Cassana."_

_ "Oh." She swallowed, embarrassed by her mistake. She hated making mistakes. Stannis, while he was here, always scolded her for them, and Renly would always laugh. Cass looked up and down. "You're not the Imp."_

_ "No and be glad I'm not. He hates to be called that, and I don't think it's a nice thing for little girls to say either."_

_ Cass bit her lip. "Sorry." And watched her footing as the man led her over the cracked steps. She had walked so far on her own, but slowly, the Red Keep was starting to look familiar to her again. As she crossed over another step, her tiny feet stumbled. The older man grabbed her from under the arms, holding her up._

_ "Watch it." He set her back down. "Clumsy little thing, aren't you?"_

_ Cass ignored the question, her face feeling hot with embarrassment. "You're not Ser Barristan, are you? He's old and you don't seem so old."_

_ He smirked at her again. "I thought you knew I was a lion."_

_ "Yes, but that doesn't make sense. The only lion in the white cloaks is Ser Jaime but Ser Jaime is a bad man."_

_ His smile faded. "Is that what your brother tells you?" _

_ "That's what everyone says but everyone also says to judge people myself so I don't know. It's confusing. How old are you?"  
The man didn't hesitate. "Nineteen."_

_ "I'm almost five. Nineteen is old. I'll be married by then and have my own castle. Why aren't you…oh. I forgot white guards can't. That's sad. Is that why you're sad?"  
"No, Cassana." He rubbed his eyes. "You talk too much."_

_ "Maybe you don't talk enough." She was suddenly angry with the man, but that faded as he kept holding her hand, his white cape flapping now in the brightly lit torchlight. _

_ The man took her other hand, turning her to the side so that they were face to face. He knelt down too so that Cass could see his eyes. They were so green, like the deep part of the sea where all the turtles were supposed to live. She bet her mother would have liked that. She was an Estermont. "Cassana, it's been…nice talking with you, but as a member of the Kingsguard, I think I'm supposed to at least warn you not to wander around the castle. You could get hurt."_

_ "But you helped me. People will always help me."_

_ The man grimaced. "Not all people are to be trusted, Cassana."  
"I can trust you though? Even if some people call you a bad man, you're still nice. You picked me up. Can't I trust you?"_

_ He hesitated, getting that sad look on his face again. But eventually, the man smiled and grabbed her hand. "You can trust me."_

* * *

The banners had direwolves on them.

Cass never claimed to have green dreams or anything like that, and as she looked at the camp ahead, the grey and white banners flapping in the cold air, her heart felt like it was burning in her gut. _Robb will not kill me. He will not mark me a traitor. _Even though she was. She was a traitor. She was craven too. She…she released the Kingslayer from his camp, and who would answer for it besides her?

Cassana thought her brother would have gone after her, that he was here. She thought that her dream…the fire and shadow felt like Stannis. Stannis had come to the wolves.

_But these aren't his banners. _

Strangely, she didn't feel afraid. She walked forward, accepting it, almost hoping that Robb wouldn't try to console her, to ask her how Jaime took her. She didn't know how she would say it to him. _He deserves my head._ And even with that thought, she didn't regret releasing Jaime at all.

The towers weren't there or any of the other bannermen loyal to the King in the North from what she first saw. There were actually no banners besides the direwolf and a merman on a blue-green field. _House Manderly. _Her Septa lessons came back. _White Harbor is his seat. _

The guards stopped her at the gate, confused by a maiden traveling on her own. She did not fall in the mud as she did in the past when she approached Robb's camp. She stood tall, chin high. "I wish to speak to Robb Stark."

But Cass didn't at all. She didn't want to see Robb.

"Who are you?" The Stark man asked gently, an edge only slightly in his voice.

"Lady Cassana Baratheon…of Storm's End."

"…Lady Cassana?" The guard looked behind her, to the right and left. "Come with me."

Robb's men looked different, as did their tents. They were newer looking, less worn from traveling, and Cass was confused. _How could an army crossover us? _

At the main tent, the guard grabbed her wrist, dragging her in. "Lord Stark."

_Lord Stark? _ What happened to king?

But she saw who he was talking to, saw the man sitting on his chair, his leg still braced, and Cass' stomach dropped even more. "…Ned?"

The guard ignored her. "She claims to be Cassana Baratheon, my lord. What should I do with her?"

_Put me in chains. Ransom me. Send me away. _The Lord of Winterfell was staring at her, grey eyes piercing. He had obviously been resting before. A book was still in his hands. "Leave us, Rickard."

Cass opened her mouth to breathe better. She was baffled by Ned's appearance in these tents and outside White Harbor especially. "You should be in Winterfell."

"You should be in Riverrun marrying my son."

Cass tinged. Eddard Stark was not happy with her. _He knows what I did. "_…Lord Stark…."

"I told you to call me, Ned, Cass. I still want you to."

"Still?" She paced, seeing him nod. "Ned, then. Ned, I don't know what you have heard."  
"Different things. One is that Jaime Lannister managed to escape his cell while he was bound and locked inside. He somehow kidnapped you as well and dragged you away from my son's camp."

Cass continued pacing, "And the other?"

"That you freed and left with him."

She paused her walking and looked at him. "The simplest solutions are most often the right ones."

"I agree." Ned gestured for her to sit, and she did. "But most times are not all."

"…It is a little more complicated than that, but I do not wish to lie to you." She bit her lip. "I let Ser Jaime escape."

Ned made no visible reaction to her words, as if he were expecting them. "My son does not think so." He pushed a pile of papers on the desk, letters from Robb no doubt. "He thinks the Kingslayer took you. Some of his men are disagreeing and calling for your head."

"Maybe they should have it."

"Maybe," Ned said evenly, and Cass tried not to run. She sat in the chair and watched Ned Stark weigh her, judge her. "But as I stare at you now, I only see the girl who saved mine. And you said you did not wish to lie to me."

"And I won't. I meant to talk to Jaime before we got to Riverrun. We…were friends once." _Are friends. We are. _"I did not know what Hoster Tully wished to do with him."

"Hoster Tully would listen to Robb."

"But Robb listens to his mother who then listens to Hoster Tully." Cass explained her reasoning. "I did not want him to die without me speaking to him." _I did not want to speak to him again after becoming a Stark. _

"So you freed him?"

"No. He…got out. I had to take the keys from a guard and then Jaime took them from me."

"Then he did kidnap you, Cass."

Did he? No, she had gone willingly enough, like he said. "He reminded me that I was sold to the Starks, Ned. He reminded me that I still have brothers out their fighting."

Ned's face paled at this. He eased himself in the chair, sinking deeper, his grey eyes becoming duller as he looked at her. "Your brother is sailing for White Harbor."

_I knew it. _ But she still didn't feel good about the statement. "Why?"

"To get you back from us. It seems that someone did believe Cersei's plot."

_Fool, why did he not speak to Renly? _ "Then it's good that I am here. I can speak with him and tell him the truth."

"It's very good that you are here. I do not wish to fight with Stannis Baratheon, Cassana. I have no feud with him."

"When is he coming?"

"My scouts say three days." Ned didn't look well. His face seemed heartbroken almost, but about what, Cass was not sure of. She got up from her seat, feeling suddenly terrible over what she had just said to him before.

"Ned." She curtsied low in front of him, head declining. "I do not mean to betray your house. You can ransom me to Stannis."

"I have no intention of doing that. I want to treat with the man, not threaten him."

She smiled, but still kept her head low. "I…cared for your son."

"I know you did."

"I'm sorry, Ned. I'm so sorry. But…I…I have to watch over my house. I have to stay loyal to my brothers." The ring was in her hand again—gold and black. "It's what Robert would expect me to do."

"Cassana?"

Her head lifted up at his voice. He sounded too careful and that worried her.

"What is it?" She stood up and straightened out her dress, wiped the dirt from her face and hands.

"Renly is dead."

* * *

She would have asked who killed him if it wasn't already written over Ned Stark's face. Catelyn had left for Highgarden when Cass was gone, making much better time than her and Jaime ever could have with fresh horses and waterways. And she had written to Ned too. He gave Cass the letters. Catelyn wrote about the two Baratheon brothers fighting, about a dark shadow that looked like Stannis stabbing Renly in the chest.

"I'm sorry, Cassana."

Her dream hit her hard. The fire and shadow. The stag dying. Her screams for Robert, for Renly. Had she betrayed him? If she had left with him at King's Landing, would Stannis still have murdered him? Would he have stopped or would he have killed Cass too?

"I don't understand."

"It sounds strange." Ned folded the piece of paper. "But it is not like Catelyn to lie."

She shook her head, "I believe her, Ned. I just…" She sat down in her chair. "Two brothers dead and one has murdered the other." _How can I look at Stannis again?_

Though Renly would have done the same. Cass told herself that. Renly would have left her in the Red Keep to rot. He would have killed Stannis in battle if his advisors taught him right. _We are all monsters inside._

It was a terrible thought, an awful, awful one, but she said it aloud to Ned. "At least now my house will not be splintered. And with Highgarden behind us too."

Ned shook his head. "Yes, Stannis gained some of the Stormlords, but the Tyrells have sided with Joffrey."

"They _what_? Why? What was promised to them?"

Ned seemed almost happy at his response. "Joffrey was."

"…Margaery." Knowing Renly, she was probably still a maiden too. Cass bristled with anger. She had never really liked the Tyrells much, and now she had reason as to why. "Fuck."

"My lady?"

"I'm sorry." She blushed. "I just thought that after Renly died…"

"Stannis is the one that killed him though."

"Even more reason why. With Stannis' fleet they could easily take King's Landing by way of Blackwater."

"They are using that fleet to come to you."

_A waste of time, dear brother. _ But Cass nodded. "I'll have them turning in the other direction soon, Ned." A thought then clicked. "I'm sorry. But how is Catelyn? Did she make it out alright? And Sansa…if Margaery is to be queen, then she is no longer Joffrey's consort."

"From what I hear, Cat is already on her way back to Riverrun to join with Robb. Sansa is…she's a survivor. I have attempted to offer a ransom for her, but the Red Keep is not listening."

_They will listen when we bang on the doors. Or if Jaime keeps his word. _ She was not sure how loyal the Kingslayer was feeling to her at the moment, however, and she was not about to admit her bargain with him to Ned Stark. "I am glad to hear they are okay."

"You look tired, Cass. I've already arranged to meet with Stannis when he arrives three days from now. You'll need to rest."

She did need to rest. Cass nodded her head and allowed some guard to show her to a new tent.

* * *

They did not have any clothes for her to wear nor did Cass feel comfortable having them go out to White Harbor and getting her more. Some chambermaids tried to clean her grey dress, but the bloodstains would not come out. It was dirty, almost black looking, and Cass was almost happier that way. _I should dress in all black and gold._

Stannis' chain was silver. She placed it around her neck, removing her mother's ring and setting it back on her right ring finger. Her hands were calloused. Her fingernails had dirt and small pebbles wedged inside, and Cass tried to pull them out. She waited as some woman combed out her hair. She had the girl put her hair in ringlets. _Robert said my mother always wore it down. _

Cassana rode behind Ned Stark as they approached the new fleet of ships to the east of White Harbor's main port. Lord Manderly said he was too old to ride out with him, but Cass thought it had more to do with the stone, not the years, he carried. Cass was nervous. She shifted on the borrowed horse, swallowed, and patted down her hair. She had not seen her family in too long. _He is still my brother. _Renly was in the back of her mind. _Renly is dead. _ And she would listen to Stannis before she condemned him for it. She would hear him out because he was her brother and the only family she had left.

When the ship docked, she immediately recognized the captain to be the Onion Knight. Cassana had last seen him with her brother when they had been in King's Landing years ago.

"That is Davos Seaworth." She whispered ahead to Ned. "He was a smuggler, but a good man. Do you see the bag around his neck?" Cass went on when Ned nodded. "My brother chopped off his fingers for smuggling, and now he is his loyal man."

"I've always respected your brother, Cass. He is an honorable man that does the act he calls judgment on. Who is that? I remember Lady Selyse differently."

So did she. Lady Selyse was not particularly attractive and tended to have a moustache. This woman leaving the ship was much different. She was bathed in red, red hair and red dress and even her eyes were a copper color. "I do not know."

The red woman came up to Lord Stark first. She seemed to radiate heat, and that had Cass edging back, remember the fire in the woods and her dream. The woman spoke with an eastern accent. "Hello, Lord Eddard Stark. It is good that you wish to treat with us. I have seen worse enemies in the flames."

Cass stayed behind, ignoring the lady and looking for her brother. "Where is Stannis?"  
"Lady Cassana?" It was not the woman who asked, but Davos, coming up with some men. "Lady Cassana, is that you?"

"Onion Knight, did I not say she would be here?" The red woman smiled. "It is good to see you, my lady."

Cassana did not acknowledge the woman, "Ser Davos, it is good to see you too. My brother is here, isn't he?"

"Aye." Davos turned and more bannermen were coming down, Stannis Baratheon standing between them, marching. He was not horsed, and Eddard made the move for his men to dismount as well. Cass soon followed. The red woman was staring at her curiously. _Who is she? _

"Lord Stark." Stannis looked thinner, sterner. His face was clean shaven, which was not what she remembered, and his black hair was graying. _He has been through a lot. _ Cass wondered if some of it came from killing their brother. Stannis' blue eyes froze when he noticed her, standing there freely. "Cassana?"

"Stannis." She wanted to run up to him and hug him, but the lady in red held her back. Cass only smiled, her knees wobbling from underneath her. It had been years since she had last seen him. And despite the anger she held days ago, she still missed him. She missed him so much. "Stannis, it…it's good to see you."

"Cass, you're alright. You're…with Ned Stark." He turned to the red woman. "You said she was a captive."

The red woman shook her head. "I said I saw her in the North, Your Grace. I told you our true enemies are there, but I did not say they were the Starks. The flames led me to believe that, but now, I am not certain."

"They aren't." Cass spoke up right away. "Stannis, we must talk with Lord Stark." _We must help Robb_. "Let me explain Cersei's lies."

The red woman's eyes narrowed on her. "She wants something from us."

Cass sniffed. "Is it strange for a sister to ask for favors from her older brother? Stannis, please. Let us talk. First with Ned, then on our own."

"No, the other way." The red woman said, her hair catching the light and looking almost ablaze. "Talk to you sister first, Your Grace, and then with Ned Stark."

_Who is she to be giving commands to a supposed king? _ Cass bit her lip. "Whichever the order. It does not matter, Lady…"

"Melisandre."

"An exotic name." Cass forced a smile. "I am sure we have much to talk about." She looked to Ned Stark. "Do you mind this arrangement, my lord?"

The Lord of Winterfell seemed to know better than to argue. "The outcome will be the same. I can offer you a place to talk, Lord Stannis."

"_King_ Stannis." Melisandre corrected.

Ned didn't flinch and kept his eye on Stannis. "It is your decision."

"We'll talk on my ship. Come, Cassana." Stannis turned around without looking at her, and Melisandre soon followed. Cass gave Ned a reassuring smile before Davos gave her an arm and helped her onto the boat.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading everyone :D


	17. Salt and Smoke

A/N:

This one is a bit short but I liked where it ended so I'm ending it here. And let me just say, working through all of GRRM's established politics and prophecies while writing this is just too, too much fun. I just hope you all like the direction this will eventually come to :)

Extra special thanks to all of my readers and reviewers and favoriters who offer such nice encouragement while writing! As I've said before, I love to hear what you guys think, especially since this is my first story tackling this fandom (I am lovin' every minute of it). My reviewers from last post get an extra extra special thanks for taking the time to write a little something:

_MutiaRawr_ (You'll see what happens in this chapter concerning our first one. As for the second...I won't promise anything), _Guest _(Hehe, that is one of the best compliments an fanfic author can have! So thank you so so much), _Guest _(I'm not gonna disagree with you on that one), _StarkStruck11 _(I'm so glad you like the twist! And whoa, thank you! That's so great to hear! I should give GRRM a call, huh? I kid. I'm ecstatic that you like my OC so much), _Guest_ (She's not my fave either. And thanks! Glad you like the twist in plot!), and_ TomHardyGirl684 _(Thanks! And I will try!).

Disclaimer: I am not GRRM so I do not own _ASOIAF _which is basically this with a little twist.

* * *

Cassana did not like boats. They wobbled too much and she never really got her footing. She hated to be unbalanced, unstable, and she hated the smell of the rats and fleas that always managed to get on there too. She did not know how Davos could stand it, but Davos seemed to love the sea—walking easily on the deck and holding on to her as the waves rocked the ship too much. The deck was wet and made out of strong wood. Her brother's fleet was huge, and she saw a lot of the boats hold back, not docking, but waiting outside of the range of arrows or other defenses of White Harbor. _This battle will never start._

They went into the captain's cabin, a large room with giant windows on the far side. It was still dark though and dank, but there was a large wooden table with a chandelier overhead where they all could sit. Stannis took his seat at the head of the table.

It was then she noticed the crown fashioned on his head. It was not the traditional Baratheon crown—not the antlers that Joffrey wore, and though Cass could not blame Stannis for not wanting the same adornment as that prick, she also saw the patches on his men's chests and remembered the banners they flew outside.

She asked as soon as she sat to her brother's left. "Why is the stag on fire?"

Melisandre was smirking to herself, her fine red garb flowing as she sat down next to Stannis and across from Cass. "It is a representation of R'hllor, the Lord of Light. Your brother is Azor Ahai reborn."

Cass blinked, the story of the Red God and the strange Asshai prophecy rushing back from some past Septa lesson. "Well, I certainly hope you haven't stabbed Selyse yet. Poor Shireen would have a fit." Neither her brother nor the red woman was amused. She pointed to Stannis' sword on his hip and tried to ask seriously, "Is that Lightbringer?"

"Yes, Lady Cassana." Melisandre said. "Wield it, Your Grace, and show your sister."

Stannis did what she said, and Lightbringer was brought out, shining red and too bright. _It shines like the sun but there is no heat. _ Cass held a hand over her eyes. "Gods, Stannis. What is this?"

"There is only one God, Cassana Baratheon." Melisandre eyed her coolly. "But we did not come here to talk religion."

She was glad for that. Her brother, she knew, did not believe in the Seven. She was not the most religious herself, but this …Lord of Light… "Yes. We've come here to talk about my, uh, kidnapping."

"I found it strange." Stannis sheathed his sword. "That Ned would write to me from the Red Keep explaining about the Lannister incest only to steal you away."

"You found it strange because he did not _steal _me." Cassana was grateful that she was now talking to her brother. "Joffrey was planning to execute him, but I…spoke up. Cersei punished me by banishment."

Davos crossed his arms. "That sounds almost like a reward."

She thought of Robb and the Stark camp. She thought of Catelyn's face when she brought her husband home. _It was_. "Lord Stark supports your claim to the Iron Throne, Stannis. It is an obvious alliance."

"But what of his son?"

_Robb? _ "What of him?"

Melisandre answered, "Queen Selyse says we should not treat with him, Your Grace. Robb Stark styles himself as the King in the North."

She did not see the conflict that they did. "And you wish for the Iron Throne. These are two different seats…"

"I do not plan on dividing my kingdom just because some boy wants to play war."

"He does not _play_ war." She remembered Robb over his maps, talking with his captains. "He's young, yes, but he's also won every battle he's fought. He defeated Jaime Lannister while outsmarting Lord Tywin. Robb's brilliant, Stannis. He's…"

"Cassana." His steely voice settled her mouth. "You were betrothed to him."

She squirmed, and her voice became tight, deep. "I am not a wolf."

"No." Stannis shook his head. "I've heard reports that you abandoned that marriage and rescued the Kingslayer."

Cass was tired of trying to defend against accusations and did not think she needed to in front of her brother. She sighed, "Yes, I suppose." And ignored the shocked face on Stannis. "Jaime promised to get me back to you."

"The Kingslayer is the reason why that bastard sits the throne."

_No, he isn't. _Cass tapped her fingers on the wood. "Jaime promised to help this. He promised to release Sansa. The Starks will not hold back after that."

"You do understand, Cassana, that I cannot forgive Ser Jaime for his crimes, even if he did help you here." Stannis looked around the cabin. "And where is he now?"

"I let him go back to the Red Keep." _He wouldn't have been safe here. Stannis knows that. _"He's a good man, Stannis. I know that everyone thinks that he's…"

"He's an incestuous fool and a kingslayer. I am ashamed of you, Cassana."

She was too old to be scolded, even by a king. "They say kingslaying is only seconded by kinslaying." Cass held his blue eyes. "What do you say to that, brother?"

He said nothing to that. Melisandre replied for him. "Lord Renly was a traitor to the crown, just as Robb Stark is."

"But did you have to kill him, Stannis?" Cass ignored the red woman. "He was our brother! Robert has already died and then you take another one away from me!"

"It stopped a huge battle, Cassana." Stannis was always even-toned to her, always when she yelled or threw a tantrum. But Cass did not feel like she was throwing much of a tantrum now. She did not think her reaction was uncalled for at all. Stannis saw that and tried to soothe her. "One of us would have died."

She had nothing to say to that. Hearing Loras Tyrell speak of her brother in such an impassioned way, it was most likely that the war would not have stopped unless one of their bodies lay cold and bloodied. But still she wondered. "Catelyn Stark says a shadow killed him in your form." She turned to the priestess. "Now how did that happen?"

"There are many agents of the shadows, my lady." Melisandre seemed unaffected, but Cass saw Davos paling behind her brother, sweat starting to drip down his face and throat.

Stannis reached for Cass' hand. "I don't expect forgiveness from this act, Cass. But we are brother and sister, and as you said, we are the only family we have left. We need to take the usurper off the throne and have a true Baratheon sit there."

"I don't disagree," Cass replied, yet in the back of her mind she kept thinking of that word, of usurper. People had called Robert that too.

"Then you are with me?"

"Yes." Cass retracted her hand. "But first we need to speak to Ned Stark. I want an alliance with the North, Stannis." _I do not want your shadows hunting him._

"You were betrothed to him once. Perhaps…"

"No." Cass shook her head. "I can't do that."

Stannis, surprisingly, did not push the issue. "You're my little sister, Cassana. I will not force you to marry anyone. That is how Robert and I always thought of it. You're too…too much like our mother."

No, she wasn't. Cassana Estermont was brave. Cassana Estermont was a true lady of Storm's End. Cass would never be that, even though now with Renly dead, it was her birthright. "The alliance is there. Both sides need each other. We need no marriage to bind it."

"Ser Davos, call the Lord of Winterfell to us." Stannis commanded. The Onion Knight left them, and Cass waited awkwardly for it, watching Melisandre watch her.

This woman had a hold on her brother. There was no denying it. The banner was different. The crown was not their own. She wondered if it was Stannis fighting for his seat or this Red God…this strange religion. _No wonder the Tyrells did not follow him. _ Ned had told her that although Stannis had won some of the Storm lords, her own grandfather had turned to Joffrey. _My house is still divided. It's not the same house. _Even if Stannis did take the throne, would it truly be a Baratheon sitting there? _Or would it be her? _ Cass felt the boat rock.

Ned Stark was led in by Ser Davos. He sat next to Cassana and one of the men on the side, Lord Florent, took a seat across from him. _He must be Stannis' Hand._

"My wife does not wish for me to treat with the North, Lord Stark, but she has never fought a war. I understand that the people of the Stormlands and King's Landing do not see me as their king." Stannis looked at Cass. "They do not love me as much as they did my siblings."

"You are the true heir though. Cersei's children are not Robert's," Ned immediately said. "You know I support your claim."

"And what of your son?" Melisandre asked. "What do we do with him?"

"With Robb?" Ned looked to Cass and then back to her brother. "I will speak with him, but his men want their rights heard. They are constantly raided by Wildlings and the crown does nothing. There are not enough men in the Night's Watch. And winter is coming soon."

"The _Night's Watch_." Melisandre said the name with such interest. "I hear you have a son there as well."

Cassana had not thought of Jon Snow in a while. _I had promised to visit him. Gods, how things change. _ Ned nodded. "Yes, I do."

"I would like to meet him one day." Her red eyes flashed to Stannis, "Your Grace, Lord Stark is right. Why should the northerners follow a king they feel has done nothing for them? Why should the people love a king who does not seem to care?"

Stannis said nothing. Cass didn't either. It was hard to think of Robert as a bad king, even though he was. It was hard for Cass to think of her brother in any way that wasn't the shining knight of the rebellion, but she knew the truth. She knew his nicknames-the whoremonger king, the demon of the Trident that cut Rhaegar Targaryen down. She remembered counting his debts with Littlefinger and the dead dragon in the dungeon. "Robb does not want a crown," Cass said. She looked at Lord Stark, but Ned did not argue. _He just wants his children to be safe. _ "Stannis, if you can win his people's love, then he will give up his title. I know it."

"But you will not win it with her," Davos said, out of turn, looking at Melisandre. They all turned to him. He spoke like the Hand while the Hand remained silent, but Stannis did not seem to mind. Davos continued, "These are people of the Old Gods. They did not even take the Seven when six other kingdoms did."

Melisandre fired back, "They will have to come to R'hllor. Do they not see the sign in the sky? The stars are red. Stannis Baratheon is Azor Ahai reborn."

To be honest, Cass had barely noticed that bright comet. Jaime used to complain that it would hurt his sleep, and when she was traveling with Ned Stark, Cass was too worried about what was happening on the _ground_ to care about the bloody sky.

"Then he can prove it to them," Cass suggested. "If my brother is who you say he is, then he will prove it and the North will accept it. Until that, Melisandre, I do not think you can _force_ these people to take on your ways." _It will be like moving a mountain. _"Accept them as they are while you need their banners. Earn their allegiance in the ways that they know and respect. Convert them later if you have to."

As she said it, Cass could picture the godswood in Winterfell. She did not know how anyone could give up those gods so easily.

Stannis shook his head, "It is not that simple."

"If you are this messiah, brother, it should be."

Stannis glared at her. "That was not what I meant. I wish to hear what Lord Stark thinks of this. I would be abdicating his son, but Lord Stark, you would still be Warden of the North. You will keep your lands and Winterfell."

Ned did not seem bothered by the idea. "I do not seek more lands or titles if that is what you are asking."

"To appease your son and his men, I offer you one other thing though. It is quite a jump from king to the heir of your own keep but…" Stannis took a piece of parchment from his pocket. "My brother's seat is empty."

_Storm's End. He is offering Robb Storm's End? _ Cass didn't know what to think. Storm's End was the Baratheon seat. If her brother took the Iron Throne, Storm's End was rightfully _hers. _ "Brother…"

Stannis ignored her. "Lord Stark?"

"I need to take this offer to my son, but I know that he will not wish to make war with you. The Lannisters are enough of a problem."

"The beginnings of an alliance then." Stannis stood up. "We both wish to crush the Lannister threat. I will speak with my captains as well. Send a raven to your son."

The small council was dismissed with that. Ned Stark left the room, and Cass stood up to go with him, but that wasn't right. She was with her family now.

"Stannis." Cass walked to her brother who was now looking at the sea through the window. "May we speak alone?"

Stannis nodded his head and Davos and his men moved out. Melisandre lingered only a second longer before leaving as well. He kept staring at the water. "What do you want, Cass?"

"I wanted to thank you for treating with Ned Stark…despite Selyse's wishes."

"I'm no fool, Cass. I have fought wars before. We could not afford to fight the Starks, Tullys, Lannisters, and the Tyrells."

Cass laughed to herself. "I wonder if the Martells are having fun watching us squabble."

That earned her a smile from her older brother, a feat hard to achieve. "You're funny."

"I'm impatient. Robb Stark needs men, Stannis. He needs help."

"_I _need men too. Renly's host abandoned me with its tails between its legs, running back to that illborn king."

_Maybe you shouldn't have murdered him. _ "…do you feel bad about it? Do you feel bad about Renly?"

"His ghost haunts me." Stannis shook. "In my dreams I see him, Cass. I see the blood on my hands though I did not touch him with any blade."

She hesitated, "I have dreams too, Stannis. I saw him die."

This seemed serious to him, as it should have. She thought Stannis may think her mad, but her brother only sat at the window bench, elbows on his knees. "What did you see?"

"It was like someone was forcing me to see it. Like I was pushed there. And there was a stag, Stannis, and I thought it was Robert. I thought it was Robert bleeding and dying but then it was Renly and…" She faltered. "I was shouting for him and then the fire came."

Stannis grabbed her hand. "What fire?"

"A dark fire. There was a fire and so much smoke, and it devoured everything. It killed everything, Stannis, except for…"

"Except for what, Cass?"

She didn't know. She wiped the water forming in her eyes and inhaled. "The cold. Winter."

He seemed to think about that, but when he replied, it was nothing that Cass expected to hear. "I need you, Cass. The people love you."

She wiped her eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

"Win them back."

"But how?"

Stannis shook his head, "I…I don't know. You want to give Robb men. Melisandre says the fight is here though, in the North."

"But _where_?"

"I think now she believes it's with the Night's Watch."

_The Night's Watch? _ It explained her interest in Jon Snow. "Wildlings?"

"I don't know. But I am not sure how many men I can spare south."

She bit her lip and sat next to him. "Perhaps it'd be easier to gain the Storm lords' allegiance if they have a Baratheon at their seat still, brother."

Stannis looked to her, half a smile on his face. "And the real reason why you wish to speak with me comes out."

"You hand it to the Starks so easily…"

"And you praised me for treating with them, Cass. Do you think they want Dragonstone? Mines of dragonglass and statues. That's what it is."

Cass looked away from him. "It was _my_ birthright, brother." She sounded like a little girl again. "You said I do not have to marry Robb Stark and then you give him _my birthright_."

"It was mine too but Robert saw it fit to give to Renly."

She knew he had been bitter about that, and Cass found it hard to argue. _What would you rather have? Peace or a seat? _ She shook her head. "I'm being selfish."

"Yes, you are."

She glared. "I just…I thought it'd be nice to be the Lady of Storm's End. I don't know…like mother was."

"Maybe the boy will still marry you." Stannis stood up hearing the knock on the door.

Before either of them could open it, Davos came in. He was holding a piece of paper, but there was worry and panic in his face. "What is it, Ser Davos?"

"My king." Davos handed him the letter. "Winterfell is burning."

* * *

A/N:

Politics, politics, politics! Thanks for reading, and I promise it will get more exciting soon.


	18. Price of Accord

A/N:

Hi All! Um, I don't really have anything to say except maybe that I recently saw how many Emmys _GoT_ was nominated for and was really happy. The end.

Of course this happiness was seconded by my wonderful readers and reviewers! As always, a special thanks to those who reviewed since last post:

_Natsirt2610_ (yup. I gotta keep some things the same), _Allimba_ (Aw, thanks!), _StarkStruck11_ (Great! It's good to know you're still excited by the chapters and not finding them mundane, haha. And yes, I'm discovering that now. Thanks!), _Guest _(She's a bit creepy.I'm glad you like their dynamic. It came surprisingly easy.), _bbymojo_ (Nothing is over until the end! That I can promise.), and _Guest _(I find the Baratheon relationship super interesting! I couldn't help it. And thanks :D)

Y'all are great.

This one is longer and throws yet another wrench in the wheel...sort of. I also introduce some new (though old) folks.

Disclaimer: I do not own _GoT _or _ASOIAF_.

* * *

Ned Stark and her brother would not leave that ship.

They had been talking for what seemed hours about something that was so obvious to Cass. She paced outside the captain's cabin where they talked, ignoring the pleas from Ser Davos that she go and rest and change out of her muddied clothes. "Leave me, Davos." Cass crossed her arms. "If my brother refuses to help that man, I will…I will…" Cass didn't even know. She kept walking until the door swung open and Ned Stark came out. "Ned!"

"Cass?" He let the door shut behind him. "I'm sorry. I have to go. My boys…"

"Stannis is helping you, isn't he? What happened? What happened to Winterfell?"

He didn't exactly know what to say. "Talk to your brother. He said he'd come, aye, but I need to leave _now._"

Bran and Rickon were still there. Cass moved out of the Lord of Winterfell's way and approached her brother inside. Stannis was writing some letter, folding it and giving it to a servant. "Don't worry, sister."

"I wasn't." Though she was. She was worried Stannis would be stubborn, would not help Ned unless that red woman agreed to it. But Melisandre was in the room too, and she did not seem to dissuade Stannis at all. Cass realized why. "What a good opportunity for you."

Stannis looked up, "It's unfortunate for the Starks that their keep be taken, but yes. Freeing their lands from the Ironborn is a sure way to gain their trust."

_Ironborn? _ Cass' lips pursed. "Theon Greyjoy."

"You know of him?" Stannis stood up. "A fool. Though he's managed to maintain the castle for days before a raven could get out apparently. Ned emptied Winterfell to meet us, not that I blame him exactly." Stannis shook his head, "The North is having more and more problems than I was first aware of. The Greyjoys come from the south and the Boltons…"

"The Boltons?" Cass knew of Roose Bolton. He was one of Robb's captains—the one with the leeches, if she remembered rightly enough. "What of them? They are south with Robb Stark."

"The lord is but his bastard is up here making a mess of things." Stannis let his squire put on some gloves. He was getting ready to set sail. _Good. _"We're taking on the Greyjoy fleet, Cass. Stay here in White Harbor. I'll have some men stand by and…"

"No." Renly had left men with her too. "I am not staying here."

"Ship's too risky for a woman, Lady Cassana." Davos said from the door.

Cass looked to Melisandre. "She's coming."

"You are my sister," Stannis replied sternly. "After Shireen you are my heir."

"Then I will ride with Ned Stark." She curtsied. "I have to go catch up with him. Excuse me." Cass ran before her brother could yell for her to stop.

"Ned!" She shouted from the deck. Ned Stark was approaching his horse, and Cass still had time to reach him. "Ned, wait!"

He turned and halted before mounting, unsurprised by Cass running up to him and his bannermen. "My son had trouble getting rid of you too."

Her face was red. "I have a hard time sitting by idly. It got me in too much trouble in the Red Keep, as you know."

Ned looked to his men and then to her. "This is a battle, Cassana."

"I'll stay in the back." Cass said. "I don't wish to fight. I just do not want to be left here. It took me too long to find my brother again, but he does not wish for me to join." _The Starks don't fly my banners and neither does he. _ She did not care who brought her to Winterfell as long as she got there.

A man took her by the arm at Lord Stark's command, and brought her to a caravan. She recognized this man. He was all in red, like Melisandre, and Cass stiffened as he sat across from her. "I know you."

The old man nodded. "It is good to see you safe, Lady Cassana."

"Thoros." The red priest looked very different than when she had last seen him in King's Landing. He was no longer fat, but gaunt—his skin hanging off him. "What are you doing here?"

"Serving the Hand of the King." The caravan started moving, and Thoros of Myr stayed in the van with her. "Lord Stark had sent us on a mission when he was the Hand of King Robert. We were hunting Gregor Clegane, but when your brother died and Ned was accused, the Brotherhood-as we called it-became outlaws."

_A shame. That is a dog that needs to be on a tighter leash. _

Thoros continued, "We thought to bring justice to this land on our own terms, under King Robert's name and no banners, but when we heard of Lord Stark's return, we knew we should return to him and ask what the Hand requires."

"King's men then." For some reason, Cass liked the thought. "You are loyal to Robert."

"Aye, my lady. Ned Stark did not kill him. Dondarrion and Alyn convinced us of that and surely you agree, seeing you with him and not in chains as the Lannisters said. We fight under Robert's law dictated by his Hand."

"Then you should also be loyal to his heir too, no?" Cass saw his hesitation. "Stannis has a red priestess by his side. Perhaps you two should meet."

Thoros almost smiled. "There was a time, my lady, when I thought the Lord of Light was just a bunch of flame and smoke, but being an outlaw... changes things. Yes, I think I would like to speak with her. Maybe she can explain some things to me."

"Maybe you can do the same for me." Cass stretched out her legs. "My brother speaks of Boltons and bastards. I'm no child of the North so this all very confusing to me."

"He means Ramsay Snow." Thoros' head went down. "It was before we joined the Hand or even before this war started, but Roose Bolton had his bastard come and be his heir. Ramsay was amassing an army at the Dreadfort."

_And no one thought to ask why? _Cass did not know these men or their houses. They were northerners, and when it came to northerners, she had trusted in the Stark's judgment of them. _But I trusted Robb about Theon. I wanted to say something about him, but I didn't, and now look what happened. _ "Is he fighting with Ned?"

"…we don't know."

"He hasn't declared anything?" Cass was cringing on the inside. "How has this gone unchecked?" _What is Robb doing? He is smarter than this._

"Roose Bolton is a powerful lord, Lady Cassana. It would be unwise to threaten him. But Lord Stark had Ser Cassel stop the boy."

"I do not like Roose Bolton," Cass said suddenly. The name gave her chills, made her hands feel sticky. "His eyes are too pale. Darker than milk though. It's too strange."

"You should not judge by appearances, my lady, but I agree. I do not like the man either, but if you want a real reason to hate him, consider the First Night."

She did not know what that meant. "Excuse me?"

"It's silly for me to think a maiden as yourself would know, but in the days before Jaehaerys I, it was customary for lords and kings to bed the brides of commoners the night of their wedding."

"And this man does this monstrous act while Winterfell does nothing?"

"He denies it of course."

"Yet you know of it and are not of these lands either." Cass rolled her eyes. _And people call my brother a whoremonger_. "This Ramsay Snow…"

"Bolton."

"This Ramsay _Bolton_ is as monstrous sounding as his father?"

Thoros cringed, "Worse my lady, but he is dead. There is nothing more to fear of him."

She would be glad never to meet the man. She was also glad that she would most likely never have to see Roose Bolton again either. A thought bothered her immensely. "Loyalties should not be that hard."

"Aye, my lady. I am your brother's man and R'hllor's servant. But it does not come that easy to some."

_No, it doesn't._

She had nothing more to say to the red priest. Cass felt uneasy. Winterfell was burning while Robb was marching the other way. _And he was just worried about my brother. Thank the gods Ned was here to recapture the castle. _

* * *

Cass fell asleep eventually. Thoros of Myr was gone when she awoke, and she was left waiting in the caravan. This was not, she knew, the brightest of ideas. She could easily be captured by some Ironborn and brought to Pyke for ransom, but she knew Stannis' fleet would leave no boats to bring her back on. She knew the Stark footmen and horsemen would run them down and Winterfell would be relieved.

The siege was short.

Cass peered out of the caravan, seeing the smoke start to fade from the keep in front of her. Men were still running everywhere, and she was reminded of Robb Stark's camp. The direwolf banners were taking down the kraken ones, and she saw her brother's own flag—that weird stag in flames—raise over some of the walls.

People were cheering Ned's name and even Robb's, though he was leagues and leagues away. Cass did not have anyone escort her from the cart or into the inner reaches of Winterfell, so she helped herself, deeming it safe.

As she walked through the walls, the soldiers still talking to the smallfolk and dragging out the bodies of fallen men, Cass noticed the other sigil littering the ground. _A skinless man? _

She did not know where her brother had gone. Some of his men had arrived here on foot, but his fleet was still on the water, taking on the Greyjoys. Ned Stark was nowhere to be found either, not in this mess, and Cassana assumed her best bet was to go into the keep itself to find the Lord of Winterfell. _No, I need to do something else first. My brother is not here. These people do not know._

There was a raised platform in the square, and Cass ran her hands through her hair, trying to pat out the frizz. She was dusty, dirty, bloody, but still she got up on the wooden stage. "Northmen?" She was not used to speaking out to the masses—to anyone really. At King's Landing and the Red Keep, all she did was follow her brothers about like a child. She remembered Robb talking to her, laughing about her love for court, _"You get to stand there and look pretty?" _

She had no silks and powders to hide behind now. Cass coughed again. "My name is Cassana Baratheon."

Some people stopped. Some soldiers turned, but the majority of people kept talking to themselves or worrying about what just happened. She could smell the death around, the blood and decay, but Cass needed to say something before all of this was out of their minds and they no longer thought of war. But it was only when an old man came through the crowd, a sword still flaming in his hands, and called for them to listen that they listened. Thoros of Myr was dragging two prisoners behind him, soldiers and others flanking the men in chains.

Cass coughed again. "I have come from your King in the North's camp. I am not sure what many of you have heard about me, but do not confuse who I am. I am a Baratheon, and my loyalties stand with my brother."

There was more talking, about what, Cass could not discern. She didn't want to hear. She did not know how fast news had traveled, if they had heard about her and Robb or worse her and _Jaime_, but Cass patiently waited for them to quiet again. "And though I am loyal to him, I love Winterfell as you do. This is my home." She exaggerated. "I was brought here when my eldest brother, your last true king, took down King Aerys and his madness. I was raised here by your Lord Eddard Stark and his wife, Lady Catelyn.

"I am…" She hesitated, "…a friend of Robb Stark. I am a sister to his sisters. I know of the northmen. I have crossed through many lands, and though we are so north, I have never felt warmer than I do here with these people. I am a believer of the Seven, but the Old Gods surround me as I stand before you right now."

There was nothing. No visible reaction, and Cass did not know what she was trying to say, if the words flopping from her mouth were even being heard. _This was a stupid idea. _ But she could not just stop now.

"My brother Stannis…he was not raised here. He did not come here during the rebellion. He was raised in Storm's End with my parents before they died, but he is here now. He has bled for you. He has his people die for you because _you_ are his people. The usurper Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, pretending to rule the Seven Kingdoms. And you are one kingdom that he wishes to control. You do not want that, but these are times of long summers and even longer winters. It is not the time to risk isolation. It is not the moment to be a lone wolf when there is a pack that bids you to join."

Cass swallowed again, counting herself lucky that no one was booing her off or throwing tomatoes (or worse) at her head. She inhaled and started again. "That is all I want to say. I…I will not praise my brother or announce him as your king. You were the ones that crowned Robert, not me. You will be the ones that crown his heir as well."

Lord Beric was suddenly next to her, tugging on her arm. Cass could almost kiss the man; she knew him well. Lord Beric tugged at her again. "My lady?"

"Yes…" Her voice lowered, her cheeks were flushed. She was surprised she was not retching again. _I wonder what Jaime would say if he could see me like this. _The thought had her turning away. "…Gods, Dondarrion. Get me out of here. I'm a complete fool."

"No, my lady." The young lord was leading her away and towards the insides of the keep. "That was quite…kingly."

* * *

Winterfell was too quiet, but that could have been because she was choosing to ignore what people were saying. There were too many whispers, voices too low and saying things about her and other nonsense she didn't want to hear.

_"She was betrothed to Robb Stark but was kidnapped."_

_ "She freed Jaime Lannister. She's a lion."_

_"She's a Baratheon from the Red Keep. She supports Joffrey."_

_"She's the Queen in the North."_

_ "She's carrying our King's child."_

_"She saved Ned Stark from the Red Keep. She saved the Lord of Winterfell and has brought back the real king."_

__ But that wasn't what was eating her. Even as she was brought through the familiar twisting towers, huddled in a bath and being soaked with rosewater, the whisper haunted her mind. She did not believe it to be true, and still… _Theon, how could you?_

__He was one of the men Thoros had in chains—him and some ugly boy that Cass did not know or have any interest in. Ned had locked Theon in a cell without a word, without any knowledge of what his judgment would be, but Cass knew. _His head should roll_.

Stannis was still gone. Theon's fleet was small, and most of it was just empty boats, which confused Cass until she finally opened her ears and heard her new maids talking. "The Bastard of Bolton is to be executed."

She nearly spit out the bathwater she had been playing with. "What do you mean?"

The young girl looked shocked that Cass had spoken, as if she thought Cass had been incapable of speech and hearing this whole entire time. Though that came to no surprise to Cassana. She had seen herself in a looking glass and did not recognize the girl staring back at her. She seemed a ghost. Her cheekbones were too defined, her face pale and her hair patchy and brittle. There was a thin white line on her cheek from where Joffrey had hit her. She was never a great beauty, but the beauty she had managed to maintain had vanished from her.

_The dead do not listen and they certainly do not talk._

But her maid was polite and answered, "Ramsay Bolton took Winterfell from Theon Greyjoy, my lady. Lord Stark has sentenced him to death."

_And where is his father? _ Cass rubbed at her arms. "Are you almost done?"

"We have to clean out the cuts, my lady. Your feet are very scabbed…"

"It's alright. I'm fine." She sat up in the tub, naked, soap still sliding from her arms. "Can you dry me off now?"

They did as she asked and handed her a robe. Cass waited for her hair to dry, waited for them to put it up in some intricate design and give her a dress from Sansa's closet. The blue dress would not have fit when she had first come to Winterfell, but now it was loose on her thinning frame.

Lord Beric was waiting for her outside of the room she was given. He was sworn to the Stormlands and her brother, and the young knight dutifully thought he should watch her. Like Thoros and herself, the war had affected Lord Beric immensely. He was once quite handsome, but now… Cass tried to smile. "Are you feeling well, Lord Beric?"

Dondarrion attempted to match her false face. "I've had better days and much worse days, Lady Cassana. You, however, look lovely."

She wanted to hit him for lying. "Thank you. Will you accompany me to see Lord Stark?"

"I am not sure Lord Stark wishes to speak to anyone, my lady. He…he's trying to figure out how to tell the Lady Catelyn."

Cass swallowed. "Then I must speak to him right away. Please, Lord Beric."

Ned was not in the main hall of Winterfell. He was hiding away in his bedroom, the door closed, the candles unlit. Lord Beric knocked on the door for her, and Ned Stark slowly answered. "Lord Beric, Lady Cassana."

She curtsied, her head almost going to the ground. "I'm so sorry, Ned. I'm so sorry we were not quick enough."

Ned swallowed and grabbed Cass' hand. "Please, come inside."

She suspected a man that had just lost his two sons to act differently. She had not been with Ned Stark when either had first heard the news. They were both called little princes, but the names still stuck to her so much more than any of the rumors she heard about herself. _Bran and Rickon are dead._

"If there is anything I can do, Ned, let me…"

"I looked at the pikes."

Her back felt cold at his words. Cassana rubbed her shoulders, treading carefully. She did not know how Ned Stark would react, but this…calm demeanor worried her. "That seems almost like torture, Ned."

"I suppose it would. But don't you wonder why I haven't sentenced Theon yet?" Ned sat back at the desk in the room, looking at the piles of paper. "My captains ask me every hour it seems."

Ned was acting strange. _Perhaps it is the grief. _ Cassana tried to choose her words carefully. "He was your ward. I expect you hold some love for him."

"He betrayed my eldest son and murdered my youngest two."

"Then why?" Was that what he wanted her to ask? Ned was playing games, which was unlike him, but he also seemed unbearably stressed. "You have sentenced Ramsay Bolton."

"Even that I am questioning."

"I would not," Cass immediately said.

"If Lord Bolton turns on Robb, Cassana, that would be a great blow to his cause." Stark gave her a stern look.

Cassana walked around the room, picking up Sansa's skirts. She did not want to ruin the gown. It was much too pretty, a much nicer garment than she had worn in a long time. "I am not convinced Lord Bolton will not turn even if you save his son. I…do not know much of the man, but what I do know seems cruel. What I have heard, Lord Stark, does not make sense. Where is Roose Bolton now?"

"Last I heard, my son ordered him to take Harrenhal."

_Then he is far away from Robb's side. Good. _ "And he was successful?" She calmed down seeing Ned nod, inhaling deeply. "I must sound paranoid."

Ned did not disagree. "Explain your reasoning then."

"Perhaps you can correct me, but I was talking to the Red Priest. He gave me some history of Lord Bolton and his son. It seems funny to me that the man would not keep his bastard on a shorter chain. He allowed the boy to rape and steal from his liege lord's land."

"A man is not his son. You have seen it with your own brother and Joffrey."

"Joffrey is his mother's son as you uncovered yourself, Ned." Cass argued, thinking of Jaime and how he was not _his_ son either. "I have seen the opposite more often than not. I did not know my own parents, but the parents and their children I do know have all had similar…conditions. Tyrion is the best and worst of Tywin Lannister though neither of them will admit it. And your own sons…Jon is…"

"Jon is not a good example," Ned said suddenly. "Roose Bolton has been my father's bannerman and mine for years. I have informed him of his son's crimes and will carry out the sentence myself."

_He legitimized the bastard because he had no sons, and now you wish to take this one away from him and do nothing to stop the father? _ Cass wanted to burn all the paper in Winterfell. "I would ask that you not tell him or keep Ramsay to ransom, but I have another thing to ask." _And I doubt you'll agree to that either._

She felt bad for arguing with this man so close to grief, but Ned did not seem bothered by it. The stress was there, but if he were mourning the losses of his sons, he did not show it. That was why Cass had no trouble saying, "Do not tell Robb about Bran and Rickon."

Ned folded the paper he had been writing on. "I wasn't going to."

She stuttered, "You-you weren't?"

"No, Cass."

"He would go mad. Catelyn too. I know it's his brothers and her sons, but they are trying to fight a war, Ned, and if they found out about this…"

"They will come back to Winterfell. I know. I do not need them here. Your brother is forcing the Greyjoys away from the North's shores, and my men here are enough to quell the rest of Ramsay's outlaws that are not here. And…" Ned was writing on the paper again, seeming almost happy. "I have seen the pikes. They were burnt, but not completely. I could still make out their faces."

_I know, Ned. I don't know why you wish to torment yourself. _ She could not do the same. She would not be able to see anyone she loved dead and lifeless, especially just their head. Ned was handing her the piece of paper, and Cass opened it, confused.

There was only one sentence there in clear, precise writing.

_They were not my sons._

"Lady Cassana," Ned began formerly as he lit a candle for the first time in the room. Cass held it over the flame, letting the paper burn. "I need someone to personally tell my son and my wife of this."

He wanted them dead then. She saw it in his grey eyes, cool and begging her to keep this secret for him. Ned Stark wanted to keep Bran and Rickon dead and safe.

"You are sending me back to him." Cass did not know what else to say. Fear started to spread in her body. She could not return to Robb's camp without her tail between her legs and explaining what she did with Jaime. _I could lie though. Even if Jaime were to say the truth, they would believe you over him. _ And if that man were to wake, the man Jaime had maimed -what would he say? _He can't say anything Cassana. Jaime cut out his tongue. _

"I am asking you to go back to him. Not to marry or be a prisoner, Cass." Ned rubbed his neck. "I am asking you to be an envoy…a representation of the alliance between your brother and me."

"Have you heard back from Robb yet? Has he responded to Stannis' terms?"

"Not yet."

"And if he says no?"

Ned gave her an incredulous look. "He won't say no."

_No. He wouldn't. His men will, but they need to learn to love Stannis. They need to love the Baratheon name again. _Cass blinked, smirking at Ned Stark. "I hope you don't expect me to give them a speech." Embarrassing herself once was quite enough.

"I'll send a raven to your brother first, of course, to ask him. I'm sure he'll send some of his banners with you."

She would like that, she supposed. "But Robb's men might hate me for what I did."

"You're a lovely girl, Cassana. And the swords you bring may earn you more love."

Ned was smarter than he looked. Sending her to Robb would guarantee that some of Stannis' men go with her, if not a large section of her brother's army. Cass only had to agree to go. And of course, she would. She needed to go to prove that her brother was the rightful king, to convince Winterfell and the North that he deserved their support, that they should love him like they did Robert. _They loved Robert because he was a war hero. _ Stannis was doing that in the Iron Islands. And Cassana had tried to think of how she could help. She tried to on the square. She had thought of ways that a woman in her position could do anything, would have any influence without having to sell herself, but those thoughts were bare.

"It would be simpler if I just married him, Ned." Cass admitted. "My brother asked me to. The alliance would be bound then."

Ned looked at her, questioning what he should say next. "I hope my son is as forgiving as you think."

She wasn't sure she felt the same.

"And Cass, I plan to send you there through the Red Fork."

Cass lurched. _I suppose a boat is better than crossing the Riverlands by horse again. _But she still hated the idea. "Yes, that seems faster." Something still bothered her. "…Ned, Theon has sacked your castle. It is still a great crime. You asked me why I thought you did not sentence him, but in truth, I do not know."

"Robb has already learned Winterfell was attacked, Cassana. I told him myself, though he does not know of his brothers. He wishes to decree the sentence himself."

_Good. _ Cass thought, until the realization hit her. _Oh gods. _"Make sure I don't see him, Ned. Or I might pass judgment on him first."

* * *

A/N:

I'm not going in circles, I swear.

Also, I just realized I'm approaching _A Storm of Swords _(or partially in...the time frames are weird), and it's freaking me out. That's all. Thanks for reading.


	19. Turncloak

A/N:

Sorry for all the semi-boring previous chapters of politics and getting things out of the way. Westeros is very expansive!

I want to thank all the people who decided to favorite and follow this story. I've been getting so many emails and it's lovely to see that people care enough about this story to follow it! As always, special thanks to my reviewers:

_HermioneandMarcus _(Thank you so much!) and _StarkStruck11 _(he's becoming more influential than I thought!)

Thanks thanks thanks! I love hearing from you!

Disclaimer: Please see previous disclaimers.

* * *

Ser Davos was sailing the boat that would bring her to Riverrun. It was a small boat and fast—a smuggler's ship. Cass was surprised at how quickly Stannis had agreed, but the letter that came only days later from the western shores was rushed, forced. _Melisandre does not want me around_. Cass could not complain. She did not want to be around the red woman either.

She did, however, want Ser Davos to take her, and was glad when Stannis gave the man the task. Lord Beric accompanied her as well, along with a few other Stark men. The fleet Stannis had brought to the Iron Islands had been only a part of his navy, and Davos planned to bring more to Riverrun from Dragonstone. But for now, it was just the small boat. There were no warships, no soldiers—just her, a few guards, and Theon Greyjoy in chains.

Cass didn't want to see him, but days and days on a boat with nothing else but guards and herself for company drove her to curiosity. True to his word, Ned Stark had Theon board the ship before she did. Cass had not seen Theon, but the boat was small, and he was easy to find. She hesitated as the guard stepped away. This was the third time she'd be visiting a man in chains, and each time the man behind the door appeared guiltier to her before she went in. _And each time that I've left them, I've been determined to get them out. _ Nothing was black and white. Nothing was easy. When they got to Riverrun, Robb would want Theon's head. _And he should have it. He should, Cass._

She turned away from the door and walked back up to the deck of the ship.

The smuggler's ship was small, and as such, Cass had visited the deck several times a day for the first week or so to lean over the side and steady her body. The boat rocked wildly in the waves until they reached the Bay of Crabs. From there, the water settled. A large number of Stannis' fleet had met them in the calm water, and they then made their way past Maidenpool and down the Red Fork.

"Move!"

There was a man rushing from one of the cabins below, dragging a body with him. Dondarrion was tugging Theon's shoulders across the wet deck.

Well, at least Cass assumed it to be Theon.

The only hint she got was that the man was in chains. If Jaime had thought the Starks had treated him poorly or if Cass thought Ned was in bad shape at the Red Keep, Theon would have been unbelievable to her. He was white, his skin almost transparent, as if the Leech Lord's son had sucked his life force out of him. His dark hair was almost falling off his head, and his eyes looked hazy and small—scared by something.

"Lady Cassana, move!"

She did, realizing she was right in Lord Beric's way, and allowed the man to drag Theon almost to the edge of the boat. Theon was pushed onto his stomach. "Go ahead. We can't have you dying too early, boy."

Theon gagged and coughed, pouring out the contents of his stomach into the sea. Slowly, he crawled up onto his hands, many of his fingers missing some of his skin. The stringy muscle stood out, red and bloody, against his white complexion. "…thank you."

Lord Beric did not say anything, but waited until Theon caught his breath before dragging him back up. Greyjoy's eyes met Cass, and she couldn't help but call him. "Theon?"

Theon seemed to be trying to laugh, but only coughed as a response. Lord Beric was dragging him back into his room, and Cass, upset, went to find Davos.

_What happened to him?_

The Theon she remembered was cocky, arrogant, but healthy. _He could not have even captured for that long. _ But she saw the skin peeling from his fingers like dried up fleshy ribbons, and she remembered the skinless man banners on Winterfell's ground. _What did Ramsay plan to do to you?_

It was strange though, Cass thought. He was a baseborn bastard and yet he flew his father's banners, used his father's torture methods.

_And they say Lord Bolton is not familiar with his son's actions? Maybe I should speak to Theon. _

She spoke to Davos first, asking if that was how they found him. Davos said no, that Theon was actually skinnier then and that the skin on his hands and feet should have been healing by now.

"We tried feeding him some mashed up fish for the first time, but I don't think it sat well with him. He hasn't eaten solid foods in a while. Some of his teeth are missing. Don't know if you noticed that, Lady Cassana."

She hadn't. "Ramsay Bolton is dead, my lord?"

"Lord Stark tends to keep his word, as I hear it."

"Perhaps Theon would like to know that."

Davos gave a knowing smile. "I bet he would."

As she approached the door to Theon's cell, Cass was reminded of Jaime once again. _I do take in lost puppies, don't I? _ Thinking of the knight did not make her feel any better. _I wonder if he's okay. I wonder if he made it back to the Red Keep. _ She hoped he did. She prayed to the Seven that Jaime was safe and not enduring anything close to what Theon did. There were much worst things than being hunted by a wolf.

He was on the ground, curled in a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. Guards didn't bother to follow her, though Lord Beric stood outside, the door to Theon's cell still open.

"Theon?"

He did not reply. The man stayed motionless on the ground, and Cassana thought he might be asleep. She called him again, "Theon? It's Cassana Baratheon."

There was still no response. Cass turned back to Lord Beric. "I think we should remove his chains."

"Lady Cassana, he is a captive."

_He did not kill Bran or Rickon though. _She stared at the boy on the ground, wallowing in fear and something else recognizable to Cass. Shame. "Do you know where we are taking you, Theon?" She waited for the young man to acknowledge her, but he didn't. "Robb…Robb loved you." _He trusted you_. _He trusted me too_. "He…tell him the truth. Tell him everything."

She gritted her teeth from seeing him like that, realizing that he was not only afraid of what Ramsay had done, but what his friend was going to do to him. _He knows it. _She saw it in the whites of his eyes. Theon knew they were bringing him to die. And a part of her knew he deserved it.

_Why do I see myself on the floor with him? Why do I think I need to be in chains too?_

"Lady Cassana?" Lord Beric called for her. She must have looked ridiculous. She _felt_ ridiculous. Cassana stumbled away from her thoughts, shaking her head and wiping the sweat beading from her forehead.

"Ramsay is dead." Cass said. "I think that will make you happy."

"…it doesn't," Theon gasped, his voice low and broken.

Cass looked back to Dondarrion, but then turned around when Theon began talking again. "…I wanted to kill him. I want…my family…"

"Balon Greyjoy is busy with my brother."

"Balon? No… Ro…"

"You betrayed Robb, Theon. You're a turncloak and a Greyjoy. Don't expect forgiveness from him," Cass said harshly. She turned away from him and walked out of the room. Lord Beric closed it behind her.

"I don't know why you bothered talking to him, Lady Cassana." Lord Beric locked the door. "Robb Stark will make sure he is as good as dead. There is no glory in a betrayer and a boy who burns children alive."

_I betrayed Robb too. _ She nodded at Lord Beric but retreated back to her room. Cass had to think of what she would say to Robb Stark when she saw him again. How even though she should have been thinking of ways to beg for his forgiveness, her mind didn't regret the action at all. She wouldn't have taken it back. If Jaime were in Theon's place now, she would have Ser Davos sail to Lannisport and free the Kingslayer all over again. But she did not want to betray Robb. _That_ she regretted—not the action, but the reaction and turmoil that came from it, the honor that was lost to her. She could never gain that back again.

_I should be in chains._

* * *

When they passed through the Water Gate, it was the middle of the night. Ser Davos had the Stark men go ahead with Lord Beric and Theon when they finally docked. Cassana had never been to the seat of the Tullys before, and Riverrun was an ancient castle, old like Winterfell, and large. The circumstances of her arrival felt strange to her. Before when she walked into his camp, she was tattered and worn. She had been leading his father by horse, and yet still she was nervous of what Robb would think.

That was the same. Deep in her gut, she felt her stomach turn, twist as the boat unloaded the men. But she was not tattered. Her dress was a fine silk. She wore jewelry on her wrists and fingers. She was still wearing the boots she had worn with Jaime, though. And the man she was bringing with her was someone Robb would want to kill, not kneel to.

Lord Hoster did not meet them. Another man was there, obviously a Tully, though Cass did not remember his name. He approached Dondarrion first, shaking his hand and then telling some Tully guards to take Theon away.

The Tully acknowledged Ser Davos next, and when Cass finally stepped off the smuggler's boat, he bowed. "Lady Cassana."

"I'm sorry…"

"Edmure Tully."

"Edmure." Cass curtsied, knowing the name immediately once it was said. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

The red-haired man looked at her closely and then the boats behind her. "The King in the North and my sister would gladly like to see you in the Great Hall."

_Would they? _ She forced the smile back on her face. "Of course." Cass looked to Ser Davos and beckoned him to follow her.

Her skin felt like it was pricked thousands, millions, of times as she walked through the walls of Riverrun. Edmure led her and never looked back to her face. _There is no love for me here, Ned. _ She should have known that they hated her, that the sight of her would only incite anger, not induce any love for the Baratheon name.

Though some of the guards she passed, the ones with fish and wolves and other patches on their chests, had a look of pity. They looked almost amazed that she was there, and that only seemed to bother her more.

The Great Hall of Riverrun was a large room made for councils and plans. Lord Hoster Tully was not on the main seat, and Cass looked to Edmure. _His greeting was an honor, not a slight. He is the true Lord of Riverrun. _ She had heard nothing of Lord Hoster's condition—whether it be sickness or death. _These fish keep things underwater._

But no one was sitting in any high seat. Robb was the closest, but he was walking across the horizontal length of the hall. His hands were behind his back in fists, clawing at each other. Catelyn looked at her son impatiently but stiffened when her younger brother called out to her. "Cat, I've brought the Baratheon men."

Robb stopped in his tracks and turned, arms falling dead to his sides. He was looking at her, staring, blue-green eyes digging into her face, and Cass had to look away. She did not want to see the pain there and what her betrayal had done to him. _Did I make up for it now or am I just stealing his crown away from him?_

The Stark men were kneeling, but Stannis' weren't. They carried his strange banner and looked to Cass, waiting to see her response. _Do I bow to him to? _ She smiled. _He may not be king, Cass, but he's still a lord. Maybe not of Winterfell but…_ Cass curtsied and Stannis' men followed her down. "Robb." She used no title, hoping that he would not mind the lack of formality. _He hated when I called him 'Your Grace', didn't he? _"…I…" Was she supposed to address it right away? Defend or explain herself? "I…" She was supposed to have this court love her, but as she looked around to his captains and men, Cass saw nothing but shock. "I've brought you men. I hope that makes up for the one that was lost the last time I was with you."

Robb's face darkened, but still he was silent. Catelyn put a hand on her son's shoulder. "We've received the raven from the North, Lady Cassana, and my son wishes to speak to you about it. Isn't that so, Robb?"

The Young Wolf did not seem to hear his name or even what his mother had said. Cassana still felt his eyes on him, and then his body was there in front of her. His hands were on her upper arms, and Robb leaned his head over hers, pressing his chin into her hair. "I missed you."

She laughed, relief and the memory of that sentence coming back to her. "I missed you too." Cass wanted to lean in to his chest and let him hold her. But her mind would not stop. _He doesn't know. _ Looking at him, she thought of dyed brown hair and green eyes. She saw an older man in his place, and Cass felt herself moving away. "But your mother's right. We need to speak."

"Yes, yes." He backed away and grabbed her hand. "I want to speak to you."

"I wish to speak to your mother too, Robb." The response made him give her a questioning look, but Cass persisted. She looked to the Stark men around her and swallowed. "I hear Riverrun has a godswood."

Robb turned to his mother. "Let's go now then. Lord Karstark, Lord Bolton?"

She hadn't noticed the captains standing to the sides of the room. Lord Karstark looked at Cass with disdain, and Lord Bolton seemed emotionless, apathetic. His eyes still looked like darken milk to her, but Cass did not dwell on it for too long, only wondering briefly why he was not at Harrenhal.

The King in the North continued, "Please speak with Lord Dondarrion and Ser Davos. See to it that they are well and get numbers of how many men they have brought."

"Yes, Your Grace," Lord Karstark said, still looking as if he wanted to kill Cassana.

"Your Grace." Roose Bolton called to him. "What do we do with the Ironborn?"  
"Leave him," Cass told Robb before he could respond. "Leave Theon for now, Robb. I wish to speak to you about many things."  
The name sparked some anger in Robb, but he nodded, and they left together to the godswood.

This didn't really seem like a godswood to her. It was a wood, of course, with redwoods and dying flowers and many, many streams. But the heart tree was not here. The white tree with the crying face was gone, yet Cass could still feel some of the old gods leftover.

Catelyn handed Cassana a piece of paper immediately while Robb was smiling, going on about what battles he had fought, always smoothly saying at the end that his campaign came out victorious.

She heard briefly how they had just invaded the Westerlands. Robb had been hurt and received the letter that Winterfell was burning.

"That was it though?" Cassana looked up from the letter Catelyn had handed her. The letter was from Ned. "That was all you heard?"

"Yes, Cass. Why? Is there something else?" Robb asked curiously.

She shook her head and kept reading. And then there it was, in even script, standing out to Cass even in the lengthy letter:

_"Lady Cassana left with Jaime Lannister. Do not tell Robb, Cat."_

Cass folded the letter and handed it back to Catelyn, swallowing. "I don't agree with that."

"I do." Lady Stark said coldly. "There's a reason why Ned sent this to me."

Robb groaned, half playfully. "Strange for these two women to be holding secrets from me. Mother? Cass?"

"Let him read it, Catelyn." Cass said. "Or I will tell him myself."

"Ned writes that there is something more important to talk about."

_That is true. _ "You have not heard any rumors then?"

"I have chosen to ignore them," Catelyn admitted, to Robb's surprised. The Young Wolf had obviously been too occupied with war, but his mother must have heard. She did not hide it. "I will not believe my sons and daughter are dead until I have seen the bodies, Cassana. There are lies swimming everywhere."

"I know nothing of your daughter, truth be told, but all of your sons still live. Ned though wishes us to pretend otherwise."

Robb looked at the paper in Cat's hand. "Is that what father writes of? He says to pretend my brothers are dead? Why?"

"Theon staged their deaths when he took over Winterfell for a short time." Cass shrugged, "I can't tell you why, but I am curious to hear his reasons. I'm also curious to know about his time with the Bastard of Bolton."

"Keeping them dead may keep them safe. Bran is the heir to Winterfell now and mine too." Robb looked up at the falling leaves. Autumn would be short, and even as he stared up with his blue eyes, Cass saw the Stark in him again. She saw him watch the red leaves fall and knew what he was thinking. "I did not think you would take me so seriously, Cass, when I said I did not want this."

"My brother did not give me much of a choice."

"Neither of us have any true issue here." Catelyn said. "The Kings in the North are an ancient line. There are new gods now, as well as old ones. I do not see why we cannot have two kings just in name."

"Stannis will not like that, even if it is just in title." Cass frowned. "…did you receive a letter from your father, Robb?"

"Yes."

"Did you…think on it?"

"It's tempting. The men he offers…"

"Not the men." Cass felt her cheeks burning, partially in anger. "He offers you another thing."

Catelyn, surprisingly, grabbed her hand. "I was with Lord Renly when he was murdered, Cassana. I'm sorry for your lost, but…"

Robb spoke up. "I do not intend to steal the Baratheon seat. It is yours by right and will be _ours_, Cass. It's a hollow offer."

_Gods, I have to tell him. _ "We are not married yet, Robb."

"Half the world already thinks we are and the whole world already knows Renly is dead although there is talk of his ghost fighting with the Tyrells. I do not believe that, but the other thing can be true. Storm's End is already ours through a different type of alliance."

She exhaled. "You don't understand."

"I know Jaime Lannister took you, if that's what you mean." Robb gave a look to his mother, but the woman didn't leave. Cass was grateful for it. The Young Wolf continued. "I don't care if he did anything to you, Cass. I know how he looks at you. I've known ever since you both arrived at Winterfell, but I don't care if…I don't care if he _touched you _though I will have his head for it."

The image of Jaime on top of her came back. Jaime kissing her, brushing her hair back, smiling, telling her that he loved her. "Jaime did not rape me."

Robb's throat seemed to get caught at her words. He coughed. "…I'm glad to hear it."

"Jaime did not kidnap me either."

Catelyn tugged at her arm. "Cassana!"

"I went to visit him, Robb. I wanted to talk to him before we went to Riverrun, and he managed to get out. He told me I was a traitor to my house." She looked him in the eye. "I realized he was right."

He cringed, his shoulders and hands shaking. Robb Stark turned his back from her and ran both hands through his hair, not knowing what to say, not knowing how to act. He was breathing too deeply and loudly, and both Catelyn and Cass went up to him. Cat first called to him, "Robb?"

The Young Wolf didn't answer. He was just staring straight ahead, his body suddenly completely still. Cass touched him on the shoulder. "Robb? Robb, let me finish. I can explain."

But his body was already falling. Robb was on his knees, eyes closed, and looking lifeless.

Lady Stark shook him on the ground, tears streaming from her eyes. "Robb!"

"Shh, Catelyn." Cass knelt down next to the woman, worry pervading her own chest. She wanted to scream out too, but the gasps from the woman next to her made her refrain. "Stay here with him."

Cass sprinted back to the hall in Riverrun, finding first the Smalljon and other men to come back to the godswood with her. "I don't know what happened." She tasted no salt on her cheeks, but she could feel the sensation in her throat. It felt dry, sticky. "He…he just fell."

The Smalljon was not a small man. He picked Robb up and placed the king over his shoulders. His iron crown was left on the ground. Catelyn grabbed it and followed the Smalljon back in. Cass' chest hurt again. She thought Robb would yell at her, scream, or maybe even hit her. That was what she was used to. Robert had been cruel a few times when he was alive, and Jaime had yelled the few times he had lost his temper with her. _Is he okay?_ She started to retreat from the godswood, but footsteps behind her drew her back. Cassana turned around to see blue eyes turning yellow between the trees. She flinched. "…The Seven."

It felt weird thinking of those gods in a place like this, but on reflex, it was all Cass' mind could go to. As she watched Grey Wind approach her, his long face seeming laden with sadness and anger, Cass understood what happened. Even though she had never seen it before, she knew this was a warg. "Do you understand me?"

Grey Wind only stared. _Is this Grey Wind at all? _ She knelt down to the wolf's level. "Robb, did you mean to do that? Come…come out of there, please. I just want to…"

The direwolf bared his teeth and then sprinted back into the forest, and as much as she wanted to run after him, Cass decided that she should go after the body of the man instead. Catelyn was waiting for her inside, tears still on her cheeks. She did not hesitate to approach Cass and say, "Do not repeat what you have said to him. Do you understand?"

Her voice was firm, cold, almost stone-like. Cass nodded. "Yes."

"You know why I ask this of you, don't you? We can't have our men think the Kingslayer was _released_. I…I have thought of it myself, but seeing the aftereffect, I now know how damaging it can be. You coming back to us at least supports the _fact_ that you were taken."

The information shocked her. "You were going to let him go?"

"And my loyalties are not even nearly as complicated. I was going to have him delivered to King's Landing in exchange for my daughter."

_Poor, Sansa. _The only luck that girl has had, it seemed, was Margaery Tyrell."Where's Robb?"

"With a maester. Even mothers are not allowed in so I doubt you will be able to see him."

"He's fine." Cass breathed. _I think he is fine. But he is…he's a warg. _ She was so unfamiliar with that word, and thought of Melisandre for some reason. She thought of the fire and shadow and then the cold coming in. Her head felt dizzy. She felt like running away again. "I delivered Jaime to King's Landing instead, Catelyn. I told him to try and stop this war." Melisandre hissed in her ears, "_I have seen worse enemies in the flames."_

Catelyn did not seem hopeful. "We'll see if the oathbreaker keeps his word."

* * *

Robb would not see her.

There were men running in and out of Riverrun, discussing things she was not a part of. _This is not what Stannis intended. _ Robb had not renounced his title. He had not said anything concerning Storm's End or even Winterfell, but he had been using Stannis' men to round up Lannisters and chase the Mountain around.

Cass had seen him though. More often than not, he would be in the Great Hall, talking with his captains about strategy and alliances and things _they_ should have been talking about. Cass had insisted Lord Beric Dondarrion join the discussion, and he did. Ser Davos had been called back to the Iron Islands where her brother's victory drew near.

They questioned whether Stannis' fleet would come back to join them or head to Dragonstone. That Baratheon seat had been left scarce, an inactive enmity with King's Landing. Many expected that Stannis would return and then attack the capital by route of Blackwater Bay, but Cass doubted as much. _Melisandre wants to stay North. _ _Gods know why, but she thinks something is there._

They questioned what to do with Theon Greyjoy as well. News about Bran and Rickon's death came to Riverrun with Cassana's arrival, and the council had decided some time later that he would be executed after the wedding.

"What wedding?" Cass stayed in the room given to her. She was tired of politics, tired of running around smiling at people that she did not remember the names of. Dondarrion seemed surprised that she didn't know.

"Lord Frey has requested we find him a different match since the loss of the young Stark boys." Dondarrion chuckled. "Can't imagine why no one has volunteered yet."

"Robb hasn't?" She said without thinking.

His chuckle turned into full out laughter at this point, but he didn't give Cass any reason as to why. At seeing Cass' confusion, Dondarion settled down. "Why, no, my lady. Why would he?"

She didn't know exactly how to respond to that. Cass gave Dondarrion another fake smile and wandered off, now thoroughly determined to find Robb Stark.

He was not in the Great Hall with his men. Nor was he with his mother up in the solar. Cass didn't dare go up there. Lord Hoster was sick, extremely so, and Cass had no right to go up lurking about, searching for his grandson. But Edmure had informed her that Catelyn was there but that he hadn't seen Robb ever since their first council that morning.

The godswood was her last realistic option to find him, and luckily, Robb was there. He was seated on the ground, crown off his head, and Grey Wind by his side. The sight of both them together reminded Cass of what she had seen earlier. She knelt down, letting the leaves rub up against her knees, even though Robb and the direwolf were still a yard or two in front of her. "You saw me with Jaime."

Robb still didn't look at her. He turned away, back to her face, and looked at the trees. "How would I have?"

"There was a wolf there—a direwolf that looked exactly like Grey Wind only I swore that he had blue eyes."

His shoulders hunched, and Cass could tell his back muscles were tensing even through the layers of armor and fur. Robb turned his head a bit, "Do you remember I told you I have bad dreams?"

"Yes." She made no move to get closer to him.

"I don't think they're dreams at all."

"You're a warg, aren't you? I've heard of them before. I thought they were just stories, but you can go into his skin."

"You don't know that."

"Robb, don't lie. It doesn't suit you. And when you fainted, I swear it was just…"

"Cass." He turned back around, voice bitter, stained with anger. Robb hands were in the dirt, digging into the firm topsoil. "You should not be talking to me."

"But I have things to talk to you about."

"I don't care." Robb exhaled. "I don't wish to speak to you."

Cass stood up, getting annoyed. "You haven't wished to speak to me for days. Robb, we don't have time for you to be angry with me. There are many things my brother expects with your alliance, and I am here to guarantee that they happen."

"I don't think it's in your best interest to speak with me about alliances either."

She did not want to speak to his back or listen to him hold in his emotions, hiding them behind some pretense of nobility and manners. Cass crossed her arms, looking at Grey Wind in slight fear before speaking again. "I ran away with Jaime. I set him free and we went to White Harbor together."

Robb stayed on the ground. "I know."

"He was my friend. He still is my friend. And he kissed me."

His head bobbed down, "Cassana, stop it, please."

"No. He kissed me and I …" She froze at the realization. "I liked..."

"STOP!" Robb was standing. He hadn't warged, but he was angry, furious with her. As soon as he recognized the emotion, he tried to suppress it, taking deep breaths, but that wasn't what Cass wanted. "I'm sorry."

"No you aren't. I was supposed to marry you but instead I ran away. Tell me how you feel about it."

"You don't want to know."

"That's where you wrong." Cass edged closer to him. "I want to know exactly."

Robb sniffed. "I want you gone, Cassana—away from here and out of my sight. What you did is unforgivable to me. I thought...I thought you would be family, but you betrayed me." He turned to her. "Why would you do that?"

"What would you have done, Robb, if Bran and Rickon were out there fighting each other?" Cass knew it was a poor analogy—that the bond Robb shared with his brothers was leagues better than she had ever experienced, but still she persisted. "I wanted to help Stannis."

"My mother says that he murdered Renly."

"It's true." She knew that. It killed her to think about, but she held her chin high. "He is the only family I have left—the only true Baratheon."

"I've heard the rumors, Cass. Joffrey is born of incest."

That truth killed her even more. "I know that."

"And yet you still defend Jaime Lannister? You…" He grabbed at his red hair. "What is it that I have done? Why did you run to him? Why did you let him _go_, Cass? I would have brought you to Stannis. I would have sent you with guards and horses if you just asked it of me."

"I couldn't." She wanted to hear his anger and have him talk to her, just tell her how he actually felt, but the words still hurt. "I couldn't become a Stark first. I know how that sounds, Robb, but I don't know if Stannis would have listened to me if I came as your wife and not his sister."

"Cass, do you want to marry me at all?"

Jaime had asked her that question too, and it irked her, bothered her immensely, that the answer was still the same. "I don't know."

Robb squirmed. "Why not?"

_I don't know. I don't know why I am so hesitate about this. _ But Robb had an answer for her.

"Is it because you love him?"

Her mouth dropped a bit, and Cass licked her lips. There was that, maybe. She wasn't sure if she called what she felt for Jaime love. Just as she was unsure that her feelings for Robb were love. There was care there, so much care and want, but love was unknown to her. Love was dangerous and at the moment, meaningless. "When I was 15, I used to pray to the Maid about my husband."

Robb didn't seem amused by her story, but he was too polite to interrupt her, so Cass continued. "I know it seems a foolish thing. My brother was still king then, and I had enough suitors. But women are married off usually when they have flowered and I wasn't. I was worried." She felt silly suddenly, telling this story to him, but Cass needed to finish it now. "And I never asked her that I marry a man that I love, but that I marry a man that…was better than me."

She coughed, still uneasy, "What I'm trying to say is, even if I did love him, it…it wouldn't matter. He's a Lannister. If my brother wins this war…" Cass exhaled deeply. "He'll be dead."

"I don't know what you mean by someone who is _better _than you."

"You are." Cass said immediately. "You are better than me. You are loyal to a grave fault and smart and handsome too."

The flattery barely seemed to affect him. "I still do not understand, Cass. Why won't you…"

"Because I'm afraid you'll die." She spat out loudly, suddenly—confusing and stunning herself. "I'm afraid I'll marry you and then you'll be killed. Your cause will be lost and I will be forever branded as a wolf with no way out." It was the truth. There. The realization came to her, and she felt no better because of it. "I'm…terrified that my brother will reject me. I'm afraid of going back to the Red Keep and seeing my nephew smile over my head on the Sept."

"That's why?"

_Yes, and Jaime too. _ She bit her lip. _I'm afraid of seeing him again. I…we can never be together. I know that. I'm afraid that I do love him and marrying you will show me that. _But she could not bring herself to say those things to Robb. They were hard enough to admit to her own head. "I don't know what else to say."

Robb didn't seem to know either. He crossed his arms, thinking hard about her words and then his own. "I'm going to marry Walder Frey's daughter, Cassana." His blue-green eyes stared at her, looking confident, though she could see his face paling. "You are my ally, and that is all. I will not take Storm's End from you, but I will rule the land above the Neck. Tell your brother that. I will be the Warden of the North, but these people's laws are _my_ laws and mine alone—not King's Landing's. Do you understand?"

Her mind was still stuck on his first sentence, but she nodded and managed to grumble a low, "Yes."

Robb started to turn away from her but then said, "You should have been honest with me. I deserve that much. You can tell me that you love him. At least then I could understand your actions."

He was waiting for her response, but Cass found herself unable to say anything.

* * *

A/N:

There will be more action soon. Quite a bit actually. Maybe too much.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review!


	20. The Red Wedding

A/N:

Oh boy. I didn't realize we'd be getting here so fast.

Once again, I am going to be redundant for the now 20th time and thank all of my wonderful readers and followers and favoriters. Special thanks to all of my reviewers who continue to give me wonderful feedback on this story (thanks so much!):

_Alimba_ (thank you!), _Phase D_ (good and heartbreaking are great adjectives for a GoT fic, so thanks!), _duchess123 _(I hope you didn't mind waiting this long! And glad you're reading it again), _Lawsy89_ (Writing Robb any other way just seemed silly and bad, so I'm glad you liked it. And the angle for that wedding...you'll see shortly.), (I suggest not reading the title of this chapter. I also suggest to remember I like happy things if that's any comfort), _TomHardyGirl6489 _(Me too. Still. Even after this chapter and future planned ones.), _Guest _(Thank you! Those last scenes were my personal favorite with them so I'm glad you enjoyed them as well.), _StarkStruck11_ (Thank you! I'm trying to keep her realistic, and I'm so glad you think it's good!), and _Guest _(That's interesting. I'm glad you like the letter part as well! Thanks!).

Safe to say I'm nervous about this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: I do not own _GoT _or _ASOIAF_.

* * *

That news traveled faster than wildfire.

Cass first noticed a change in the men, how they looked at her, and the whispering and laughs. They were more aggressive—the things they said about her and what they wanted from her would have made a more sheltered girl flush. _I am no longer a queen to them._ The thought was not as disappointing as she thought it would be.

She could understand Robb's decision even though it did hurt her. Cass shouldn't have expected his forgiveness, but a part of her had. A part of her thought he would have been disappointed, angry, and then forgive her and asked when they would be married. _He is stronger than that, and he does not deserve someone like me—someone who would betray him like that. _ She had told herself many times that she was not a wolf, and now it would be true.

But she was lucky that the news of Robb's future wedding was undermined by the news of another. Lady Catelyn had not thought less of her at all. In fact, Cass felt a little more _empowered _after Robb's refusal to fulfill their previous engagement. She was no longer just a woman, here because of some man she would one day marry. She was here because of her loyalty to her house, her mission to the Baratheon name, and Catelyn Stark respected that. Many of her men did too.

"My daughter has donned red and gold."

That was a weird thing to say, Cass thought, until she saw the letter a raven had brought to Catelyn. _What is Cersei doing? …Why is Jaime allowing this? _

"They want her birthright. They want Wintefell," Cass understood the marriage easily. _They think Bran and Rickon are dead and if Robb dies in this war..._She wondered how Tyrion could ever be persuaded to marry someone like Sansa Stark. She was beautiful, yes, but too young, and far too inexperienced for Tyrion's liking. "My lady, it could have been worse. She could have married Joffrey."

That barely seemed to be any comfort. "The Imp tried to kill my son. I do not know how they expect to get Winterfell. Even if my younger sons are _dead_, my oldest and my husband are still breathing."

_Which I suspect the Lannisters want to change. _ But no, not Jaime. Jaime had promised to help her end this. _Is this his sick idea of an alliance?_

But that was also assuming Jaime was back in the Red Keep, which was something Cass should have not done. He could be dead, she realized. He could be somewhere—lost or rotting and dead. She squirmed, her back feeling cold, the thin hairs on her neck standing on end. "Has Robb told you yet?"

It was a poor question. Of course Robb had told her, and Catelyn nodded dimly, her green eyes straying away from Cass. "Are you okay with that?"

She had to be. Cass grinned. "It is just circumstance."

The words were familiar to both of them, but now Cass understood them completely. It was strange to think how her fate did not only depend on her actions, but the actions of countless of others. Robb could have easily married her weeks ago. She could have been betrothed to Robert Arryn or Trystane Martell half a decade ago. Cersei could have killed her or kept her. Jaime could have brought her back to the Red Keep. Robert could have lived. There were so many instances that were not her own, so many pieces that she had no control over, that it made her cling even more so to the actions she could manipulate.

And she had gained some control. She had some Stormlords and the possession of some of Stannis' men, but that in itself was risky. What her brother was doing was not completely in accordance to what Cass wanted him to do, and she was still curious about Melisandre and her demons. She did not trust that woman. She had killed Renly, and Cass would not forgive easily for that.

She could go back to Stannis and the North. But thinking of Renly also made her think of Loras Tyrell and Highgarden. She wondered if seeing Loras again could convince him and his family to follow her brother, that if she could…forgive Stannis, Loras could too. _But that would mean going back to the Red Keep. _ And she would not do that. Not for any silly flower.

"You do not have to go to the Twins," Catelyn suddenly said, dragging Cass back from her distracted thoughts.

"Excuse me?" She almost wanted to laugh, "But why would I go there?" Just the word made her sweat. She could smell the blood on her arms, the sweat and adrenaline coating the air from Jaime as he took down three Freys. And then there were the things they were saying…

Catelyn seemed uncomfortable. "That is where the wedding will be. It's soon now that Robb has agreed to it."

_It's at the Twins? _ "…but why is it there? Why not in Riverrun?"

"Lord Frey is an old man that…"

"So is Lord Hoster, I'm sorry to say. Surely he'll want to see his first grandchild marry." Cass did not like that idea at all. Yes, they would be guests of the Freys, but the words kept coming back to her, that they were working with Lord Tywin… _Jaime said they were just saying that though. He wouldn't lie. _Unless he didn't know. "Catelyn, I just don't…"

"Neither do I, Cassana, but we have already prolonged this betrothal. We cannot slight Lord Walder any more. But if you are fearful, like I said, you do not have to come."

"No, that is alright." Cass would save face and go. Though it would be embarrassing, she needed to represent her brother properly, and a king would attend his warden's wedding if he could. It was her duty. "I will go to the wedding."

* * *

Cass dreamed again the following night.

She normally never dreamed, only bits and pieces sometimes of things that happened throughout the day, but she could tell this dream was different. She could feel the surrealness, the tangible nature of every object. Even the air seemed thick and weighted.

It did not seem like it was coming from her own eyes, as if she had drifted to sleep only to be pushed and dragged.

Cassana seemed to have woken even while sleeping. She forced her eyes open only to see she was in a weirwood again. Her hands clawed at the ground, the dirt, the brown taint eroding into her fingernails and pores. She tried to steady her breathing, extending her short breaths into long and deep inhales. Red leaves were falling everywhere, crowning around her head, and Cassana sat up.

The sun was breaching through the trees, and she could hear birds sing gently through the wind. It would have been peaceful—beautiful even—if not for the graves in front of her.

There were three of them, all of the same size, all with pillars of white marble marking the headstone. The one on the far left seemed almost shining—as if it were soaked. Cassana stood and slowly walked to the grave. She could smell the salt and brine from the porous stone, but other than that, the grave was plain. The dirt underneath the stone was fresh, but that was true for all the graves, and Cass walked on.

The next one was engraved, but not with a name. She touched the stone and the mark outlined, recognizing it immediately to be the seven pointed star. The Faith of the Seven was clear to her, and her fingers traced all the points, her mind naming each one as she went to a different point—the father, the mother, the maid, the warrior, the smith, the crone, the stranger—all were there.

The last marker was bathed in the forest sun. There were red leaves all over the top of it, falling from the weirwood, and as she touched the stone, her hand felt burned. This one frightened her most of all, and Cass turned away only to be jerked back by the hooded figure behind her.

The figure said nothing, but stood there, watching, completely wrapped in black. Cass didn't know what to say, didn't know if she could say anything, and even though she was afraid, she could not stand by that grave any longer. She approached the unfamiliar person and tried to open her mouth. No words came out.

The stranger held out a hand, wrinkled and pale, stopping her from walking. "_All three wore crowns. All three had men die and all three will die no more than men_."

Cass turned back to the graves. She opened her mouth again, but still nothing.

"_Why is a king a king if he can be undone so easily? What good is a king that cannot escape death?_"

She found her voice. "No one can escape death, stranger." The words sent shivers down her spine.

The hooded figure's head lowered. _"Aye. Your words are true. No one cannot escape death. The false kings will fall when winter comes. These three first and then the rest. "_

She remembered the cold from the last dream, the fear and smell of death and rot coming with it. "Will we all fall when winter comes?"

"_How do you stay warm, child?_"

She looked at her hand. It was red from the last gravestone. "With fire."

"_But fire is wild. Fire is unruly. Yes, you need both. You need both._"

Cass wanted to ask what the stranger meant, but her voice was lost again, and she was soon waking.

* * *

She felt sick while they traveled. And it wasn't like the sea nausea. It wasn't the dread of watching Robb swear himself to another and then bed her, though that did irk her still. There was a pit there inside her, filled with biting acid and a hollow ache. Cass felt…she felt afraid. She had not been to a wedding for quite a while, and the thought of going to this one terrified her without any real reason.

_You have reason to. _

She watched Lord Bolton sometimes while they rode. Cass kept a fair distance away from Robb, and Roose Bolton was normally close by his side, lifeless eyes and stern face focused ahead. She could not read that man, nor was she sure she wanted to see what was inside his head. She looked at the Frey bannermen too, but all of that was useless. All of that proved nothing to her, and she had to force herself to believe that her inane thoughts were just paranoia. But her dream was there too. _Three kings will die before winter. _ Cass swallowed and steadied her horse on.

When they were side by side, she whispered to Lord Beric, "I will not let my men in without their weapons when we get there. Tell them also to not drink a single drop when we are inside. I will make them pay 10 gold dragons for each sip of wine they take." Cass tried to look serious. She felt like a little girl, sitting on her padded saddle blanket but she was still holding Lord Beric's attention, so she continued. "Only eat what Lord Walder has eaten to obtain the guest right. Eat as soon as possible, Beric."

The man was not nearly as confused as Cass expected him to be. He slowed his horse's pace "Are you dreading this encounter too?"

"I do not trust the Twins," Cass said immediately, unable to hide the tremble in her voice. "I do not like where we are going, but for Stannis' sake, I must go. I will see Robb Stark wed and then we will be gone."

* * *

The towers were looming ahead. They did not have much time left, and Cass was preoccupied by chambermaids about what dress she was going to wear to begin to think of what she would do if they got there. _Get to Walder Frey, Cassana. If they let you, get near the man and make sure you remember your training._

They were setting camp outside the Twins when she gained enough courage to talk to Robb again. He never looked as much a man as he did then, Cass decided. His face was certain and long—almost like his father's. Robb was petting Grey Wind's head, looking over his debelted scabbard.

"Lord Stark," Cass called, and Robb responded. He was no longer a king, even though some of his men thought differently. It would be a hard transition, one Stannis would have to win with his victory in the North, but he would do it. He could take the throne and Robb could take this Frey girl and go back home. "May I speak with you?"

"You may." He was still looking at Grey Wind. His guards stood solemnly around him, but Cass did not mind. She hoped her words would only incite them as well. "I always find the words of my allies important to me."

She swallowed at her new title. She was an ally to him and nothing more. _Good, Cassana. That is all you need to be. _ "I hope you do not intend on leaving your sword here."

"A wedding is no place for a sword."

"If you are certain Lord Walder is a man of his word." Cass stared at the object. It would be useless in her hands. "My men will not go in unarmed."

Robb turned at those words. "And what if they are not let inside?"

"Then I'm sorry, Lord Stark, but that will have to be the case then. I rather them be cold than dead. I'm sure you can understand." Cass looked to Grey Wind. "At least keep him, Robb."

"Lady Cassana, you aren't in any position…"

"I am not saying this for you." She said sharply, even thought she _was_ saying this for him. "I am protecting my brother's alliance. If you die, what is Stannis left with? Your heir is locked in the Red Keep." She would not dare to mention Bran or Rickon. "And Ned Stark wishes to remain in Winterfell. Please, Robb. Bring Grey Wind with you. If your new wife fears him, she fears you too."

Those words seemed to hit him. Robb picked up the sword from the floor. "Do you feel it too?"

"It's raining," Cass said. It hadn't been before, but now she could hear it. She could hear the water drip and plop over the tent, and the pleading Freys and tombstones came back to her. "And I'd use a dagger, if you're nervous." She looked to the other guards. "And my sense. A dagger in my boots and good sense, Robb. _Please_."

"Cass, it's just a wedding." Though the words fell flat, and even as he said them, Robb picked up a dagger from the discarded belt. "I won't have my men drink."

"Not wine. Have them drink water at least."

"My mother gave me the same advice." He swallowed. "…I didn't think my wedding would have me nervous in this sense."

Cass laughed a bit and walked forward to Robb. She grabbed his hand. "I also wanted to wish you luck…and offer my blessing."

Robb reddened a bit. "Thank you. Cass, when it comes time for the bedding…"

"I don't wish to see it either…I'm sorry." Cass let go of his hand. "I'll leave."

She did just that and returned to her own tent, where handmaidens were soon busying themselves again. Cass was in no mood for any of this, but she sat in her tent, absentmindedly nodding when they asked her questions, her mind still spinning. _It is just a wedding. It is just a wedding. _

When they were done, her hair was spiraled upwards in some complicated braids. She was wearing a dress of gold linen with black trims and lace, and if it weren't for the small scars on her arms, it may have seemed as if the last months never happened. Lord Beric was waiting to bring her into the Twins' hall, and she let him guide her, her men with their swords on their belts.

They were, of course, stopped at the gate. The Stark men already appeared to be inside.

"My lady, weapons are not allowed inside. They are not needed."

Cass stared at the Frey man's own sword. "It seems unfair that you wear a sword on your belt while my men cannot. The Freys may be the Stark's men now, but they are unfamiliar to me. I do not feel safe without them." She frowned, pretending to be upset, but the guard would not relent. She turned to Lord Beric instead. "Dondarrion, have them leave their weapons back at the tents and _prepare. _Be sure to move quickly. We cannot miss this wedding."

Dondarrion did what she said and led the men away. Cass would have to enter this keep alone.

Her first piece of advice to Stannis when he sits the Iron Throne, Cass thought, would be to build another bloody bridge. The Twins were the only crossing for hundreds of miles, and as she looked up at the Water Tower, her heart laden with rocks and metal and other heavy things, she couldn't help but think how all of this could have been avoided if Robb had crossed another way.

She was met with some Frey man inside, one of his sons, probably, and she felt the shivers line her arms. _Do you know that I helped Jaime kill your brothers? Or maybe he was your father? _ Cass could not look at him. The weasel-like face gave her nightmares, but strangely enough, she also felt some weird empowerment. _I could have killed him if I wanted to. _She hadn't wanted to, but the strength was there. She could protect herself if she had to, though that didn't mean she didn't wish Jaime were here nonetheless.

That was a pointless and stranger thought, though. The Kingslayer had no reason to be by her side, and she should have not wished him to be. _He loves me. _ All this talk of weddings kept reminding her of that thought. Jaime loved her and she had sent him away.

Robb had said that she loved him too, but that was just him trying to make sense of her actions. And even if she did, even if she did love Jaime Lannister, he was still exactly that—Jaime Lannister. There would no wedding and children in the Seven Kingdoms or Essos or any other land for either of them. It was silly and stupid of her to even think of him anymore. Yet she still did.

Lord Walder Frey sat on his oaken throne. He was an old man, very old, and Cass forced a smile on her face at the sight of him. She knew what Robert had thought of him, and after seeing him, she was beginning to form an even harsher characterization in her head. But still she smiled. "Lord Walder, I am grateful for the invitation to your hall."

The bridegroom was beside him, looking pale. But he held his chin high and wasn't shaking. Cass turned to look at the men beside him, and smiled seeing their wine glasses still full. Walder coughed. "_Heh_, is this the whore you originally slighted me for, _son_?"

The Young Wolf squirmed and took a piece of bread from a server's plate, handing it to Cass. "This is Lady Cassana Baratheon, my lord."

"So that's a yes, _heh_."

Robb said nothing.

Cass however, was not as silent. "I thank you for the bread, Lord Frey. You are a most kindly host." She took a bite. "And I hold no ire for Robb choosing one of your lovely daughters over me. Surely that is a just decision." The words were harder to swallow than the old, dry bread.

Catelyn was soon handing her a glass of water, and Cass sipped it eagerly. Lady Stark grabbed her hand. "Come stand by me, Cassana. The bride should be here shortly."

"Only if Lord Frey promises I get to sit by him at dinner." She smiled sweetly at the old man. Cass glanced to the young looking girl at his side and curtsied low, too low for the neckline of her dress. "If it please him."

The old man grunted some sort of reply in agreement, his eyes on her, and Cass grinned again to herself.

Her men did not show up through the doors, but more Frey girls did. She watched them all go down the aisle—some old and some young, some pretty and some ugly—and Cass wondered what Robb's bride would be like. He seemed nervous too. He kept on glancing to Grey Wind, who sat calmly by his side, and Cass knew what a part of him was thinking. _You can not run from this, Robb. I am sorry. I wish you could. I wish you could run away like I did. _

But she wondered if he still thought that when the bride came through the hall. This girl was by far the prettiest Frey girl she had seen—thin and with long brown hair and pale skin. Catelyn whispered that her name was Roslin, and that she was far less robust than Cassana was, though she was not sure whether that was a compliment or not. "I'm just worried about childbearing," Catelyn admitted, but Cass saw more worry easily on her face.

There was nothing amiss, which worried Cass more, if possible. The vows went smoothly, though Roslin seemed on the verge of crying every now and then. Robb did not smile too often at all, but he did dry her tears with his hands when her crying got very bad. There were no old gods mentioned at this wedding, and after the Septon was done, Cass could see Robb's longing to go out and find a godswood, but the Young Wolf stayed for the following feast.

The bedding would take place after that, and Cass felt that it was her responsibility to stay until then. Her men were not back though. Lord Beric was nowhere to be seen, and she was forced to take her place by Lord Walder Frey unaccompanied. She smiled as he stayed with her, touching his wife inappropriately while whispering lewd comments back at her. "You're not married I suppose then? Since Robb Stark here rejected you?"

That smile was hard to force. "No, my lord. I am not."

"Did you know 9 is my lucky number, _heh_?" He grinned a toothless sort of smile while touching wife number eight.

Cass turned to the meal in front of her. The musicians were playing too loudly and sounded almost off key, but perhaps she was too used to the ones that went to the Red Keep. There were drums too, sounding deep and echoing throughout the hall. They bothered her head."Really, my lord? Seven is mine. That is how many kingdoms my brother has."

The feast continued and the Stark men were pressured to drink, though only the Greatjon seemed to oblige them. Cass watched the men around the hall—the viewing easy to see by the dais. Her eyes strayed once again to Roose Bolton, and she wished she had a chance to talk to the man, if only to see if he knew about his son's death.

Robb seemed clueless with his new bride, who still looked extremely sad and nervous. _It must be the bedding. _ Cass couldn't claim to hold the same fear if it were her and Robb Stark, but this Roslin did not know the boy like she did. Robb was handsome, but even handsome men could be cruel if they wanted to be. There was an edge in the Young Wolf's eyes, and Cass saw the same sentiment in Catelyn too. She sat, warily watching, attentively looking at the Frey men and her son.

The drumming noise continued to beat and beat and beat. Cass maneuvered herself in her chair, the wooden back digging uncomfortably into her skin. She turned to see Lord Frey laughing at something, his grin so wide and decrepit.

Frey looked to Cassana. "They say your brother treated with my newest son."

A singer's words caught Cass' attention, distracting her for a second from Walder Frey and the constant drums,

"_And who are you, the proud lord said, that I must bow so low?"_

"Yes." Cass took a sip of wine, forgetting her own promise. The drums kept beating, and the questions Walder Frey was asking were not the most innocent.

She thought it strange that _this_ song was playing. Cateyn seemed to recognize the melody too. It was not really appropriate during these times of war. Roose Bolton seemed to have excused himself from his seat, and Cass stiffened. Grey Wind suddenly started to pace, uneasy.

Walder Frey patted her hand, "But I'm sure you know that being a _lady _is nothing compared to being a queen."

_"Only a cat of a different coat, that's all the truth I know. In a coat of gold or a coat of red,"  
_

Too many men were moving around. The Stark men were setting down their forks and quiet laughter. They saw the men in armor come in, and Cass' grip on her chair tightened. The wine in her throat felt dry. _This isn't…_

_"A lion still has claws."_

The first bolt was fired into Grey Wind's neck.

The direwolf growled and lunged towards the Frey man, but soon more and more crossbows were drawn out from their sides and bolts were flying everywhere. Cass saw them hit Robb, red blood already appearing through his bridegroom's clothes, his personal guard struggling to understand what was happening. She saw Roslin, his wife, start to cry even more, and Catelyn ran towards her son, only to be stopped by a Stark man. Robb's soldiers were pulling daggers, from their boots—but they were too slow and too small compared to the swords of Walder Frey's men.

"No…no." There was so much red. Stark men lay dying, and Robb had several bolts already embedded in his chest. The blood from the men was lying in puddles, pools of deep crimson on the hall's floor. She felt dizzy as she stood, but still she went. The guards were few up by the dais, and it was easy for her to approach Lord Frey from next to her. Cass pushed his wife aside and off her chair, letting the scared woman crash and hit the floor. She tugged at the back of Walder Frey's collar and dragged the old man up from his seat. His limbs dangled, practically lifeless already.

He was yelling for help, and Cass saw some darts fly towards her, but if they pierced her skin, she did not feel it. She was too focused, too numb by the dying screams, the smell of copper blood, to notice anything but the squirming man between her forearms. There was salt and saliva on her arms from where she held Lord Frey's neck. The man was ninety, feeble and weak. She wrapped her arms firmly across his throat, ready to give one small forceful push, to end this before…

Someone was dragging her back. She felt the hand on her shoulder and then the arms around her waist, holding her up. "Stop!" She screamed. Cass could taste the salt and blood on her lips. Too many men were dying and she could not tell who was who anymore. There were more men now, pouring through the doors, rushing and wielding swords and stabbing people, killing people. The moans of the dying were rattling across the vaulted ceilings, only masked slightly by the drums pounding and pounding and pounding against her head.

Catelyn was trying to reach her son, but it was failing, and Robb was on the ground, on his knees, when a large blond man came to him—pushing all others aside to get to him too. She had to help Robb and Catelyn and protect them. She couldn't let them die—no, she needed them to much for them to die. But still this man held her in place, powerful arms making her unable to move. Cass wriggled in this man's grasp. "Let me go! Let go!"

Every escape she tried to pull fell short. The man then held a hand across her mouth, silencing her. "Cass."

She froze at the voice, her limbs unable to connect with her head. Cassana tried to steady her breathing, but she couldn't. Her lungs could not get enough air with only her nose and suddenly she could feel how wet her arms were. Her mind could not think, could not understand why he was here and why he had brought all this blood and death with him.

And as much as she thought she imagined that voice, it spoke to her again, "I'm getting you out of here."

The hand from her mouth fell. She took a deep breath and glanced to the red liquid on her arms. _Is that my blood? _"No, don't." Her eyes went to Walder Frey, curled on the ground and shaking. "I have to kill him."

"I won't let you do that." He threw her up and over his shoulder. "I won't let you regret something like that." And the Kingslayer carried her out of the hall.

* * *

A/N:

There's a lot coming.

Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!


	21. White Knight

A/N:

I had intended this to go a completely different way, didn't like it, and then rewrote it. Fun.

Thanks for the wonderful responses to the last chapter! I know it was sort a lot and some people may expect certain things and others expect other things, but this is what I'm going with. Thanks everyone for reading and special thanks to all my reviewers:

(my reaction to when I first read the Red Wedding, haha), _Belladonna007 _(Robb's fate will be revealed soon!), _imaygoPOP_ (Never say never...), _Alimba _(thanks!), _Nemu-Chan_ (I'm so glad you noticed the blond man! And all will be revealed shortly, I promise! For the most part anyway), _Guest _ (I hope WTF is good? ha), _Guest _(I'm glad it was nicely written! :D), _Salome N _(Thanks so much! I try to write as fast as possible!), _meri _(He's filled with surprises!), _duchess123_ (Thanks!), _StarkStruck11 _(Beautiful? Thanks! I'm glad you thought that. It was a lot of fun to write in a completely depressing way.), _KingofTruands _(Aren't cliffhangers fun? :D), _Guest _(Ha, trying to lighten the impending terribleness with that line! And yes, I've been a little nicer to the characters than George, but final fates are yet to be determined. Aw, and it's nice to see someone caring about Beric. He's a good guy.).

Disclaimer: I do not own _GoT _or _ASOIAF._

* * *

He dropped her against the stone wall carefully, sliding her body down as if she were fragile glass. Jaime held her shoulders, kneeling down, but didn't look at her face. His hands went to her left shoulder and then her forearm. "Fuck, Cassana."

She felt tired and so weak. She was imagining him for sure, but even so, it was nice to see him. There were nights in Winterfell when she had wanted to dream of him but couldn't. There were too many days that she wanted him with her but he wasn't. And even if he were just an image, she would take it. Her eyes fell to where 'Jaime' was looking. "…That bad?"

"Yes," He sneered. Men were still running through the hallway, and she thought she knew them. They sprinted passed them and poured into the hall where the moans and clashes of metal on metal still sounded. "Twice. You still held him down after you've been hit twice?"  
"Jaime…you are Jaime, aren't you?" She smiled. His hair was a little longer, the roots that gold blond again. His beard was half shaven, and he almost looked like the old Jaime again…only not. He looked better somehow. "Jaime, you're not here."

"I can't be not here and myself, now can I? Cass, stop talking. Fuck, where's a damn maester?" He cursed again before tugging at the bolt entrenched in her shoulder, slowly dragging it so that it wouldn't damage the surrounding flesh. Cassana screamed, her knees bending and feet pushing at the ground as he dropped the bolt on the floor and moved to the next one. "They're shallow," he breathed, sounding anxious. Jaime grabbed a clean rag from somewhere—she didn't notice him having one—and wrapped it around her wound. He had another bandage for the one on her forearm. "You need a tourniquet."

He began to stand, but Cass tugged him down with her right arm. "No, don't leave again." There were still too many men, too much blood. She couldn't be alone. "Please, don't leave me. Not here."

"I have to go check on the men." Jaime knelt down again and brushed her hair behind her ears. His head suddenly turned when he spotted someone. "Beric!" He stood up. "Beric! Get over here! Why the fuck would you ever let her come?! Take her back! Get her _out of here_."

Cass was being dragged back up again, this time by a different man. She was pushed over his shoulder, her bad side rubbing harshly against his chest as he lifted her, but she focused ahead—confused. "Why are you here?" She asked the already retreating Jaime before her vision became subdued and eventually black.

* * *

Cassana woke wanting to scream. Her arm and upper back were painful, throbbing, and she had a headache. She thought she was in a bad dream until she saw the grim face looking down on her. He had a scar on his cheek and was too pale. Cass wiped her face with her right arm. It was coated in sweat. "Dondarrion?"

"My lady." Lord Beric sat down to her level. She was apparently in a bed—too soft and big to be anything for a camp. "I am glad to see you come to."

_Did I dream all that? Was that real?_ She began to recognize it now—she was in Riverrun. Dondarrion was sitting by her side but there were no other Baratheon guards. The Lightning Lord glanced at her anxiously, waiting for her to speak. She rubbed her eyes with her right hand. Her left arm felt too weak. "…What happened? Dare I even ask?"

"I've been told I'm not in the position to tell you the whole story, and that I must go now that you're awake…"

"Beric." Cass called before the lord could leave. He seemed nervous, on edge, and Cass could only think that he was remembering what happened. She could smell all the blood around her still, see all the bodies and the drums beating and beating. Her throat felt scratchy. "Where's Robb?"

"I'm not in any position to say…"

"Well get into one then. Where is Robb Stark? And his mother?" _And Jaime. Or did I dream him up? _ She wouldn't have been surprised if she had.

Beric bit his lip. "That is not what I meant, Lady Cassana. I meant that it is too early to tell. We've just gotten you to Riverrun, and I have heard no more news from the Twins."

She actually felt relieved and let Beric leave her. No ravens meant no dark words. Being alive was not news to rush.

After Beric left, she ran her fingers across her left arm. Her left arm was bandaged up and stabilized across her could still feel Walder Frey shivering beneath her grasp, his body on the ground, blood pooling. And she remembered Jaime taking out the darts. "I heard your voice. I saw your face."

She had been faint, but he was there. Jaime Lannister had been at the Twins, and she wanted to know why.

Cass must have fallen asleep again for when she opened her eyes, it seemed that hours and hours had passed. Her milk of the poppy was fading, and soon she was seeing him, though not his face. Jaime was alone in her room—back towards her, arms crossed as he stared out the window and at the grounds of Riverrun. It was beyond strange to see him here and without chains, in Tully land without tens of armed guards surrounding him

She had to call to him first. "Jaime?"

He turned immediately, and she had a clear view of the blood and sweat on his tunic. His sword was still on his belt, though his gloves were tossed to the side of the room. He had not let a squire unarm him, it seemed, or maybe he was too nervous to.

"Cass." He walked over, breath heavy, his tongue licking his upper lip. Cass thought for a second he was approaching to kiss her, and it looked like he wanted to, but he didn't. Jaime tugged at a piece of her brown hair that was sticking to her forehead. He brushed it back and sat on the side of her bed. "You should sleep more."

She then started to cry, harshly and loudly. Her face became hot and red, and Jaime looked scared to be sitting so close to her, but Cass didn't care. She grabbed his bloodied collar with her good hand and placed her head on his shoulder. The top of his tunic was still dirty, but the armor over it was so white. There were blood spots splattered, but the scales themselves rippled and shone with pure white light, even in the dark. It took her a second to realize it was his Kingsguard armor. He didn't wear it too often at all, usually opting for the gold Lannister lions.

"What are you doing?"

She said nothing and cried more, her eyes soon becoming dry as she just sat her head on his shoulder, her chest labored and weak. It was hard to say anything. Her throat felt constricted, but Jaime was rubbing his hand against her back, talking for her. "I went back to the Red Keep."

Cass knew he did. He went back to Cersei like she thought he would. He was there and came back to stop this war for his family, not for Cassana. She swallowed. "Is that why?"

"Why what?"

"You wouldn't let me kill him?"

It took Jaime a second to understand what she meant, and when he did, he sniffed and shook his head. "I don't want you to have blood on your hands."

"Especially the blood of your allies."

Jaime let go of her when she said that, green eyes wide. "Do you think I give a fuck what happens to Walder Frey? Let me talk first before you berate me, Cassana."

She bit her tongue. Jaime had saved her life, and she was angry with him. But his appearance here irked her. As much as she wanted him to be here for the right reasons, she saw all the men coming into the hall—her men and the men in red cloaks. _But what is the right reason? _ She looked down. "At the river, the Freys said they were working with your father."

Jaime didn't hesitate. "And I killed them."

"But now you are here. You were at the Twins and now you are in Riverrun." The pieces were clicking in her head. "Your father wanted you here. Did he want me dead too?"

Jaime grabbed her good hand. "You aren't, Cass."

That didn't answer her question, and Cass' voice became sharp. "Did your father send you here, Jaime? Did he want you to deliver mine and Robb Stark's corpse back to him?"

"Your heads if you want particulars." Jaime snapped back. He seemed to be waiting for Cass to calm down, but she didn't. Jaime exhaled, "When I got back to King's Landing, my father told me he had use of me in the Riverlands. He told me he had been talking to Walder Frey. That man felt slighted by you, stupid fool. He wanted vengeance for the insult Robb Stark gave to his house." Jaime rolled his right wrist, causing the joints to crack. "My father was happy to oblige him. And so was this Roose Bolton."

Cass glowered. "I saw him slip away. That bastard. Did he kill…"

"No," Jaime said, a little too glumly. "Robb Stark is alive."

_The Seven…_ Her dream came back to her. The Stranger had been too clear. Three kings were supposed to die and so far none of them had. Cass breathed. _Thank the gods…whichever ones had saved him. _But maybe it was not the gods. Maybe it was this man…he had done too much for her. "Jaime, what are you doing here?"

"I met your men inside and proved I meant no harm. I believe you earned the trust of the Northern army the same way. I brought back a Stark."

"Sansa?"

"No, the other one. Complete brat."

_Arya? _ "How did you ever find her?"

Jaime shrugged. "She and some wench found _me_. Lady Catelyn apparently made an alliance with a knight in your late brother's service. Loyal to a fault. If she were still here, she'd probably kiss you. You look like Renly too damn much."

Cass furrowed her brow. "_She_?"

"Her name's Brienne. So she keeps saying. A real cow of a woman, but strong as hell. She was supposed to find the Stark girl and me if she could. She wanted to drag me back to my cell. Instead I had her save that king of yours."

She remembered the blond soldier approaching Robb. She did not look much like a woman, but Cass had also not been paying too much attention, her mind distracted by the screams of the dying and the smell of piss and blood. "And yet you convinced her you meant no harm?" Cass couldn't really wrap her head around that. "How?"

Jaime seemed apathetic about it, but his words held such a weight. "I talked about you." He laughed at himself, looking at his armor, as if just realizing he had never taken it off until now. "When I got back to King's Lanidng, I was in the White Tower for some time. I… am the Lord Commander. That's all I am."

"You're a Lannister too," Cass said, unsure why her heart was racing at her own words. But they were true. If a lion had anything, he had pride. "I don't want you to forget who you are, Jaime."

"My father wanted me to forfeit my vows. I—you told me to talk to him, and I did, Cass. I told him everything."

_Gods, Jaime. _She suddenly felt guilty. She could see the shame in his eyes, the memory of his words tearing its way through his skull as he thought. Cass gripped his hand tighter. "You don't have to tell me."

"No, I do. You told me to do this, and gods know why, but I fucking did. You get to hear it too." Jaime didn't retract his hand, but he shifted in his seat next to her. "I told him about Joffrey and Myrcella and Tommen. I told him that they are not my children, but it was my seed that got them here. I said Joffrey is a monster." He shook his head. "Can you believe it? He is of my blood. He is my king, and still I told his Hand and my father that he was a fucking animal that needed to be put in the black cells."

"Jaime…"

"And do you know what he said to me, Cass?" Jaime shook his head. "He said that _he knew_. He said that he knew I was fucking Cersei this entire time, and then he said to me…he…" Jaime dropped her hand and stood up, still staring at her. "He said that I was an ignorant fool. That I shouldn't have let a cunt ruin my life and his like that." Jaime snuffed. "Gods, and I know he's right. He said that if I had any pride at all, I would relinquish the Kingsguard and take Casterly Rock. I would marry some girl after I delivered him Riverrun."

She was afraid to ask but she did anyway. "What did you say?"

"I said a man of the Kingsguard serves for life. I said…" Jaime drifted. "I never told you this, did I?"

"Told me what?"

"You know that I was fifteen when I became a knight of the Kingsguard. I was the youngest ever to be anointed, and I remember one day, I heard Queen Rhaelle in her chambers. She was with the king."

Cass wasn't sure she wanted to hear this. "And?"

"Do you remember when I volunteered to train you? Do you remember asking me why I agreed to do it at all?" Jaime locked his eyes onto her. "Aerys was raping her. He did every night after he burned someone alive. I could hear her cry through the doors, Cassana. I could hear every word and scream, and so did the other guards. But we did nothing because he was the king."

She felt woozy again, and Cass tried to steady herself against the headboard of her bed. "Because of your vows."

"Yes, because of _my vows_ I had to hear that girl get raped over and over. Because of my vows I had to watch bodies be burned alive, watch the skin melt from their skulls as they cried like mutilated sheep. And when I first saw Joffrey on the Iron Throne, all I could see was Aerys there. I could see my sword in his back, and that's what I told my father."

Jaime paused for a second and licked his lips again. He looked tired, exhausted. Bags hung from his eyes and his skin looked tight around his cheekbones. He slid a hand through his hair, and Cass had to ask, "And what did you say to Cersei?"

He stiffened at that and looked away from her. "I told her I was going to the Twins, Cass." He hesitated. "I said I was going to make sure Frey finished the job, if that's what you mean."

"That's exactly what I mean" Her patience was thinning at those words, but she asked, "Are you okay?"

He wasn't. Cass didn't need him to answer for her to know that. She recognized the battle happening in his thoughts, the division. Cassana knew it too well. "To be honest, Cass, I felt that I was betraying her because I loved you." Jaime laughed cruelly at himself. "But I am a fool, aren't I? I told Tyrion of my guilt, and then he tells me that Cersei has been fucking Lancel and some Kettleblack."

The admittance made Cass practically laugh. Lancel Lannister was a poor substitute for Jaime at his best. But she knew better than that and bit her tongue. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not and don't pretend you are." Jaime threw back at her, half smiling. "She has blinded me for too long. Gods, you have too. You have dragged me away from the Rock and my family. You…"

She frowned. "I did not ask you to come here."

"No, but the ravens came and said that Robb Stark was marrying a Frey girl and that you were with him because of some stupid alliance with Stannis." Jaime glared at her. "What did you expect me to do?"

"Let me die."

"Don't be an idiot. You know I couldn't." He sat down on the bed again, closer this time. "I saw you bleeding, Cassana, and I killed every man that did that to you."

She didn't know whether she should have thanked him or not. But as she looked at him, she did realize one thing that she should tell him. "Jaime?"

He was staring at her bandages. "What?"

"I didn't marry Robb because of you."

She thought he'd try to kiss her after that, but he didn't. Jaime stared at her, serious and tired. "You could have made your life a lot simpler if you just did."

"I know."

"And mine too. If you had just married Robb Stark, I could have tried to forget about you."

She bristled. "Would that have worked?"

"Probably not." Jaime shrugged, voice suddenly sounding empty. "You were right before though. I can't promise you anything."

Cass became defensive. "I didn't say that because I want you to marry me, Jaime. I just thought you should know. You deserve to."

He didn't smile. "Right." Jaime moved to the other side of the bed and lay down next to her, armor still on. "You don't know what is going on here, Cassana. Stay in your bed. The Starks…"

"What did you say to the Starks?"

He eyed her coolly, weighing his words in his head. "Nothing. Your Starks are bleeding in their beds."

_Catelyn too? _ "And the Tullys?"

"Hoster Tully is dead, Cass. Edmure Tully is the technical lord of Riverrun now and that uncle of his. The Blackfish." His hands went to his belt and he took off his sword, throwing it to the ground. Jaime then sat up and un-belted his armor, slowly. "I spoke to that man…Umber, is it? And the Karstark. They don't seem to like me much."

"Can you blame them?"

"No." Jaime kept removing his armor. "Aren't you wondering why I'm not in a cage?"

The answer seemed obvious to her. "You saved their king's life, Jaime…and theirs."

He sniffed again. "I'm an idiot for doing that."

"Maybe." Cass tried to make him smile. It didn't work. She took her good hand and rubbed it on his one unarmored shoulder. "You're a good man. Has anyone ever told you that?" His head went down, but Cass continued. "Jaime Lannister, you are one of the best men I have ever met."

He turned at that and kissed her, easily, completely unhesitant. Jaime ran his fingers down her cheek as he pressed his lips to hers softly and deftly. Cass edged back a bit, startled. She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth and looked to him, seeing how anxious he was. But there was more there than just anxiety. She could see it in his eyes, see how easily he loved her. He loved her fully, it seemed. _He crossed his family to save me. _Jaime had given so much up to keep her safe, and Cass didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know how to convince him that it was worth it at all for she wasn't sure it was.

Instead of words, she kissed him back, pushing harder than he had and earning a much better reaction than she had given him. She tried to hold him with her right hand only, but as Jaime came closer and closer to her, his chest pressed too hard on her arm. Cass squirmed. "I'm sorry."

Jaime edged his body back but still kept his head close to hers. She could still feel his breath. "I should have known better."

"We can try again when I'm healed."

He stared at her, reading through her words, and paled. "Cassana..."

"I'm not some little girl, Jaime." She saw the hesitant look on his face. It was so different than how he normally looked at her and she hated it. "I thought you…"

"I already have three bastards." He rolled away from her and flat on his back again. "I don't need anymore."

She flushed immediately, "That's considerate."

"It's selfless as the seven hells if you ask me." Jaime sat up and away from her. "And you wouldn't want to if you knew everything."

The sudden shift in topic had her on edge again. "What do you mean?"

Jaime looked at his armor. "Don't mistake this. I don't give an ounce of horse shit for the Freys, but I am not fighting for _him_."

"Robb or Stannis?"

"Either and both." His green eyes turned to her again. "I told you not to forget who you are, and I haven't either. I won't try to."

"I would never ask that." Her eyes fell, her chest feeling hollow and sick at what Jaime had done for her. "…I never wanted you to…"

"Well I did." Jaime said angrily. "I came here, and gods, _why _did I come here, Cassana? I have the easiest task. It's simple. I live and die for my king. I listen and do what he wishes." Jaime sniffed. "But I've fucked that up, now have I? I've killed one king and saved the other's rebels."

"Stannis is the true king," Cass said on reflex more than anything. "Jaime…"

"Stannis is deluded if he thinks he can rule. The people will not follow him, Cassana."

"Then why did you come, Jaime?" She bit back. "You came because you loved me? I cannot believe something like that would draw you from your king's wishes."

His face tightened, and the knight didn't seem to know what to say. "You did the same when you released me."

She scoffed at his words. "I did not release you. _You _said you would take me to my brother. I wanted to go to Stannis."

Jaime's green eyes gleamed under the shade of light. "And if it were him and me, Cass…if it were him and me in that cage, who would you have taken out of it?"

_You_, she thought but did not answer. Jaime had no need of it. Her hesitation was enough to have him smiling. He grabbed her chin and smiled back. "_That_ is why I came."

* * *

She was not allowed out of her room, and the assumption that it was because of her injury began to fade and fade with each passing day. Dondarrion evaded every question she had—where were her other guards? Why hadn't Lord Edmure come to see her? Could she write to her brother? Everything was answered with a "I'll see what I can do, my lady." And then the topic was never brought up again.

Jaime would come and visit her, usually at night. His beard was thin on his face, but he was looking fuller, more well rested than he had in weeks. Cass would sit up in her bed every time she saw him and tried to ask him the same questions, though Jaime was a little more direct. "You'd hate me if you knew."

"I'm starting to already," she finally answered back. There were boots pacing and pacing outside her door constantly. Her skin felt cold and rigid. "Let me write to Stannis."

The Kingslayer didn't answer. He was moving around her room, grabbing items and putting them in a trunk. "Your arm should be fully healed by now. Beric is an idiot, but I swear to the Stranger that the man has nine lives. He'll keep you sufficiently safe."

She sat up straighter. "Jaime, what are you doing?"

He stopped suddenly, his sword swinging on his hip as he turned to face her. "Making sure you don't die."

"Why would I?" Cass kept hearing the boots, the thumping on the wooden doors and the laughter of the men outside. _Stark and Tully men would not be laughing. They would be weeping for their men. _ Her grip on the blankets tightened before she flung them off herself. She was sweaty, smelly, not having bathed in days as she sat in her sick bed. "Where's Robb?"

"He's alive."

"But for how long?" She walked barefoot across the floor, reaching for the doorknob, but Jaime was grabbing her wrist.

"Don't." He said in a low, harsh whisper. His tone had her inching back. "Don't go outside."

"You're scaring me. Jaime…"

"You should be scared." Jaime grabbed her other hand. "There are hundreds of men outside that would like nothing better than to cut off your pretty head and deliver it to my father."

"But, they're…"

Her voice died as she looked at him. Jaime had talked to her before about what his father wanted him to do, but he never denied that he hadn't done it. He saved her and Robb Stark's life, but he made no promise that he never…

Cass slipped her wrists out of his grasp. "You said you'd help me."

"Is saving your life not helping?"

She pushed him. The force hurt her left hand. "You said you would help me stop this war! You said you would talk to him and get your family to _stop_. How could you!?" She kept pushing him. The metal was harsh on her skin, but still she continued, angry, spiteful. "How could you betray me? How could you bring _your men_ here? Where is Edmure Tully? And Catelyn? Where is _Robb_, Jaime? Or are you just waiting for your little bastard to put his head on a spike?!"

"My sister fucked up Ned Stark's delivery North by not garnering a peace treaty. Do you think I intend to do the same thing?" Jaime spat. "I will help you end this war, Cassana, but not with anyone's head. I will sell Robb and Catelyn Stark back to the North for Ned's allegiance."

"And Arya?"

"The wench— that Brienne- is already bringing her to Winterfell." Jaime responded. "I couldn't have her around my men."

His men.

She should have realized it. He would never be able to come here alone. She stated it as a fact, "The Lannisters have Riverrun now."

"It would have been a long and boring siege." He admitted easily, "If the entire keep weren't emptied for a wedding."

The orders were so clear to her now. Jaime had gone to the Twins while his men took over the Tully seat. Under Catelyn and Cass' rightful paranoia, the Tully bannermen had left their leigelord's land to accompany the Stark host. "Tywin Lannister wants Robb's head. He wants mine too."

"No heads." Jaime said again. "How many times do I have to say it? Tyrion is making sure of that."

_So he is the one that came up with this plan? _That didn't assuage her. "And your father and Tyrion hold so much love for…"

"I am also." Jaime interrupted, getting more and more annoyed. "What would you have me do? Just run and save you and the Starks? I am not so noble. I am not some shining white knight, Cass."

"I know that."

He laughed at her, mockingly. "No, you don't. Be lucky I am not dropping the wolf pup's skull at your feet. You're constantly forgetting who I am."

_A Lannister and a Kingslayer. _ She had not been saved by a song. "You're bringing Robb to his grave, Jaime."

"I'm bringing him to a black cell."

"And you think Eddard Stark will betray my brother? They have an alliance." Though Cass wasn't sure what Ned Stark would do. He admitted to treason to keep Sansa safe. Who was Cass to know what he would do for his heir and wife? "What about my brother?"

"Dondarrion is taking you to him. I have your men in cells, Cassana, but I'll release them under your command. You can go North."

She huffed. "I do not want to go North."

"And I do not want you to die." Jaime smirked. "You can see how my wishes have a bit more significance."

Cass fidgeted. "What will you tell your father?"

"It doesn't matter what I'll tell my father."

"And you wish for me to talk to Stannis?"

He paced around the room and started packing again. "Stannis is a soldier. He knows when he is losing a war."

_But Melisandre doesn't. She believes this Red God will deliver him victory and a golden crown. _Her voice was low, emotionless. "You put a large burden on my shoulders."

"And you have not done the same to me?"

She grabbed a cloak from the room and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Are you finished now? I would like to speak with my men. That is if they still have their tongues."

Jaime shut the trunk and offered her his hand. "I know you hate me right now, Cassana, but understand that I did this for you."

"Stop." Cass placed her hand in his, but her eyes were cold. "I of all people now that you cannot have things both ways. You have satisfied your family's wishes and…mine to an extent. But do not expect me to be happy about it."

"I expected you to have me in a choke-hold."

She almost smiled. "Get my men out of their cells and let me speak with them. I would have them ride soon."

"Whatever you want, Cassana."

Cass watched as the door to her room opened. All she saw was red cloaks. "I hope you mean that."

* * *

Seeing them outside on the Riverrun grounds made her swallow hard, made her heart sink and her stomach lurch. Jaime had led her past the Lannister guards—who much like the Stark ones before them, made whispers and calls behind her back. They did not last long under the Kingslayer's glare, but Cass heard them all the same.

Her men, however, looked at her solemnly. Jaime Lannister had brought them into the Twins to fight off the Freys, only to bring them back to Riverrun to be held captive. Their beards were thick, their clothes ripped and torn. Beric Dondarrion, held his purple bolt shield low as he stood in the center, waiting for Cassana's words. Jaime, however, spoke first. "A Lannister always pays his debts. I am releasing all of you in the trust that you will bring Lady Cassana safely to her brother Stannis Baratheon in the North."

Her men made no noise. They stared on at Cassana rubbing her arms, the trunk by her feet. There were at least a hundred Lannister soldiers behind them, but her men were so few. _How many of them had died at that wedding? _ Cass did not want to ask. "They will need horses, Jaime."

"I'll give them horses then." Jaime nodded to one of his men who ran off. "Riverrun has enough."

"Lord Beric." Cass called to the man who then stepped up, lowering himself onto one knee. "You have served me well. I know how loyal you are to my late brother Robert."

"It is that loyalty that has me serve you, my lady." Dondarrion looked to Jaime. "Please excuse me for before, but the Kingslayer threatened …"

"Ser Jaime Lannister wishes the best for the kingdom and myself," Cass announced, holding a hand up as she interrupted. She looked to Jaime who had his head lowered. Her words were truthful, though it took a while for her to understand them. She wasn't sure she completely did, but her men needed to. "And I do too. Lord Beric, do you swear your fealty to me?"

"I do, my lady."

"And do you hold my command above all here?"

Dondarrion blinked, clearly confused. "Yes, Lady Cassana. Of course."

"Good." She turned to Jaime and whispered. "Do not try and stop me. If I had not been there, Ned Stark would have no head. Forgive me if my trust in you has lessened as of late, Jaime."

His green eyes dulled. "Cass, what are you…"

"Lord Beric." She shouted. "You will take my men and lead them back to my brother. You will only rest when you are tired, only fight if provoked. Your mission is to go North and back to my brother's camp."

Dondarrion almost dropped his sword. "But Lady Cassana…"

Jaime turned her to face him, panic in his eyes and face. "Cassana, what do you think you are doing?!"

The words terrified her, but she could not keep running away. She had ran from it for months, been afraid to even think about going back there, but she knew she had to. _If I am to make sure this war stops, I need to be sure Robb survives. _And she trusted no one with that but herself. Her brown eyes looked to Jaime, serious, unshaking. "I am going to the Red Keep."

* * *

A/N:

I'm a softy. Sorry for those expecting lots of death, but the Red Wedding is sort of what made me want to write fanfic in the first place, so I just couldn't (as tempting as it is...)

Please review and thanks for reading!


	22. Usurper

A/N:

Hello all! Same old speech: Thanks a ton for reading! My little writer's heart appreciates it immensely! And special thanks to all my reviewers since last chapter:

_StarkStruck11_ (They are tons of fun to write together. And expect a lot more of them here on out! And of course more twists.), _HermioneandMarcus _(you're welcome! And thank you!), _imaygopop_ (Yeah, I sort of never believed that he couldn't know. Joanna knew. Kevan knew. And Tywin didn't? unlikely! Glad you felt the same!), _Allimba _(thank you and here it is!), _Belladonna007 _(Hehe, exactly. But that's what makes it interesting..I hope. Also I'm so happy you're liking Cass' less than perfect decisions. You nailed that. Spot on), (I hope you got my PM explaining your question! And still no promises on pairing. I'm being a mean author when it comes to that one.), _Guest_ (Yeah, she's definitely a little nuts. And yeah, as a reader of the books, it's been hard to put the blinders on and pretend that that whole part of the world is nonexistent. But of course that can't last for long. And glad you liked their moment!), and _Red red red ribbon _(d'aww thanks).

I think I started a bit of a pairing war, didn't I? Gah. I guess some things I can say to clarify my thoughts about it (to those who are curious) is that chemistry is one thing, love is another, marriage is something completely different, and they don't always align. But they could. This was not helpful, was it?

Disclaimer: I do not own _Game of Thrones _ or _A Song __of Ice and Fire. _

* * *

He was dragging her back inside by the wrist, his men watching hers outside the gates. She felt like a child being scolded. Jaime was treating her like she was six years old still, but she wasn't. She knew what she was doing. Yes, it may have been risky. Yes, the burning acid in her gut might drench her stomach as she pictured walking through the Lion Gate and into King's Landing (she was sure that was the one she'd be paraded through.), but Cassana was not about to change her mind.

It was almost entertaining to see Jaime's face, the anger and fear and overall annoyance with what she just did. But she gave only a small grin and watched as he paced in front of her, sword clanging on his hip.

"Do I even dare ask what you are thinking?" He didn't look at her.

"I'm protecting my investment in the King of the North." Cass shrugged. "Surely you're father can appreciate that. And even though he isn't exactly a king anymore…"

Jaime stopped in his tracks and grabbed her hand again. "Cersei wants you dead."

"Cersei wants a cock too, but I don't see that happening anytime soon." She raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"

Jaime gritted his teeth, but Cass was past caring. It was obvious that woman wanted to rule, that she thought herself the heir to Casterly Rock when it was her brother's inheritance, and the king whenever Robert wasn't in the room. And when the words left her lips, Cass suddenly remembered her and Jaime's relationship. _They're twins. _ Cass swallowed. _She sees Jaime as what she should be, doesn't she? _ Cass held her stern expression at the thought.

"I don't want to see your corpse."

"She's just a woman. You have spoken to your father, haven't you? Whatever anger he had when he asked for my head must be gone by now. I'm worth more alive."

"There's a difference between being alive and being safe." Jaime's grip on her softened. "Cassana, if you go, your life is at risk. I won't be able to protect you."

"I didn't ask for that." She thought of Robb when he said the words. There _was_ a difference between being alive and being safe. He was not safe there, much more at risk than she was. _I am just a girl…I cannot command armies or lead kingdoms. _ _They will think nothing of me but a bartering piece. _"How was Sansa Stark faring?"

"She's married to my brother." Jaime didn't seem to understand. "How do you think she is?"

"Safe." Ned was stuck in a dungeon while his daughter married the heir to Casterly Rock. Cass remembered the day on the Sept of Baelor. Ilyn Payne was going to cut off his head. She still wasn't sure why her shouts had him stop, but they had. _What if I hadn't been there? What if Robb winds up there too? _If she were to receive that raven while sitting in her brother's camps, Cass would never be able to forgive herself. "If marrying a Lannister is the worst thing they do to lord's daughters…"

"You are not just a lord's daughter."

"I am." Cassana argued. "And you're lying. You will protect me."

The Kingslayer looked away and back to his men, straightening his shoulders as her words sunk in. "You sound certain."

"Are you not? Would you let me die? If you could do something to stop it, would you let them kill me, Jaime?"

He sniffed and shook his head. "That's why you're coming then."

"Because I know you'll keep me safe?"

"No." He walked forward, armor clamoring. "You're going for him."

Her breath caught. She wanted to argue, but couldn't. Jaime thought…he thought… _But is he wrong? _ Cass realized he wasn't. She was going to protect Robb Stark. If she had any sense at all, she would stay with her men and go back to Stannis. "You need me to quell Stannis. Sending me back won't stop him."

"See your men off." Jaime was done talking it seemed. "It's your life you're throwing away." He stopped dead, digging through a satchel on his belt. "Wait for Beric before you run to him, won't you?" The piece of metal was flicked from the Kingslayer's fingers and fell on to the stone floor.

Cassana didn't move towards the object. She watched Jaime walk away, boots echoing across the floor, and wondered what in the hells she was doing.

_You said you'd never go back there, Cassana._

She was terrified of that castle. It reminded her of death, of Renly leaving and her life turning into shreds of what it once was. But it was also the only home she truly ever had. She might be the Lady of Storm's End in title, but she had only been there a handful of times. In some strange way, she missed it. She missed running through the long stretch of hallways, seeing Blackwater Bay outside of the windows, and her brother drink and eat and laugh on a throne made out of swords. _Those days are done. They will not come again, Cass._

She thought of when her and Jaime had laughed and trained. How she would blush and joke when he made suggestions about who she would marry, and how they would never take anything too seriously. How'd he scold her when she was little and help her sneak away from feasts when she was older.

_They're dead, Cass. Those days are dead. Robert too. And Renly. Jaime is different, but he's…he's still…_

She saw Beric come through the doors and walk towards her. His eyes looked tired and baggy, and he stared on at her, exhausted. "Did you drop that?"

He was talking about the piece of metal Jaime had thrown. Cass shook her head, but Dondarrion brought it to her anyway. The wolf was still there, engraved in the plain silver, and Cass took it in her hand. Jaime had kept the object when they were running from Robb's camp, but now, it seemed, he was handing it back to her. Cass swallowed. "Thank you."

"I suppose I can't convince you to come with us to you brother?"

Cass shook her head. "Let me pay my debt to the Lannisters, Beric." She tugged at the loose strands of dark hair. "I did mean that back there though. You have done so much for me. I don't know how to repay that debt."

"I was loyal to your brother, Lady Cassana, and then his Hand. As the Brotherhood, I wanted to serve the realm to the best of my abilities, and I found that by serving you."

She flushed. "You speak too highly of me. I have done nothing. But my brother…"

"I will follow your command and go to his camp, my lady. But I know what company your brother keeps."

_Melisandre, yes. _Dondarrion surprised her with his tone and apparent lack of loyalty. Stannis was the heir and a Baratheon too. _But he won't follow him, will he? _"She is just a woman, Beric." Cass exhaled. That sentence seemed untrue. "Why did Jaime send you back?"

He was looking at the piece of jewelry in her hands. "He woke this morning,".

Her mouth fell. Cass leaned back, almost falling. "And no one told me?" She was angry at that, but she tried to swallow the emotion down. She wanted to talk to Robb. She had woken up in the middle of many nights with the gravestones in her head. _Robb was a king. Some say he still is. _ She could see him pale and cold. She could see the blood still flowing from his chest and his body in the ground "Why did no one tell me that Robb was awake?"

"The Lannisters didn't think he concerned you anymore. Neither did we." Beric said with an edge in his voice.

She ignored it. He was confused by her alliances—so be it. He wouldn't be the first or the last that wondered why she held so much love for the Starks. That love reminded her of someone much worse. "What of Roose Bolton?"

Beric held the door to the hallway open for her. "Roose Bolton they are killing."

She was surprised. "Why? I thought perhaps he died during the wedding, but if he's alive, why would the Lannisters execute him?"

"The Seven Kingdoms frown upon men who break the guest right. The Lannisters needed to push the betrayal on someone. Lord Bolton was marked as conspiring with Walder Frey. He was promised Winterfell, apparently."

She would not pretend to be sad by the news. "I expect Walder Frey to have the same fate then." It would be a sad, dismal execution. The man was so old, but Cass would not weep over that body either.

"You already killed Walder Frey, my lady." Dondarrion said, filled with respect.

Cass nearly choked on air alone. _I what? _ "Walder Frey is dead?" _No one saw it fit to tell me that either._

"Bled out from a head wound, the way I've heard it. From hitting the floor." Beric chuckled. "I saw what you did. That takes daring that not many men have, my lady."

_I wanted him dead and now he is, yet I do not feel bad about it. _Lord Frey's fate was his own. She did not feel empowered, nor did she feel weak or regretful. The thought was cold, but she knew Dondarrion was thinking it too. "I cannot say he did not deserve it."

"Too true. There will need to be a new lord of the Twins. I wonder who the Lannisters will put in Frey's place."

Cass nodded. "There needs to be another Lord of the Dreadfort too. I hope Ned picks a good man."

Beric then asked, "And a Lord of Storm's End, I think, too."

"No." She smiled. "There will be no Lord of Storm's End until I marry."

Lord Beric was leading her to Robb's room, which shocked her with the fact that it was an actual room and not a cell. She stared at the red cloaked guards by the door, and they slowly moved away before she could even speak. They were respectful, yes, but she saw the threat there, and understood why Beric was accompanying her.

"They didn't put him in a cell?"

Dondarrion hesitated. "He would have died in a cell."

Cass nodded and told him to stay outside.

The room was dark, and for a moment she thought Robb would be sleeping. But at the sight of Grey Wind's head lifting up, blood still in his coat, Cass knew he was awake and alive. Her breathing settled, and she slipped the wolf ring into her skirts' pocket.

She could see him nod in the dim lighting, the man barely upright in his bed. There were bowls of medicine by his side and an unlit candle. Cass went to his bedside and moved to light the candle with her left hand.

"Don't."

Robb's weak voice made her recoil and stiffen. It sounded dry and cracking. Cass reached again. "I want to see your face." _I want to see that you lived through that massacre and the Lannister men hovering over you. _"Robb…I was so worried. I didn't understand." But Robb was shaking his head so she stopped.

"I know." He breathed, exhausted sounding. "I don't really know what to say."

"You don't need to talk." She tried to find his fingers in the dark, but instead felt the bandages on his chest. Her hands felt his sweltering skin, the slick sweat and open pores, before finding his big hand in her own. "I'm so sorry about all of this. Your men…your marriage. Lord Frey is dead but I'm sure you knew that." She shook her head. _I killed him for you, didn't I? _ The thought had her biting her lip. "Sometimes I forget what we're all fighting for. And when I remember…" She forced herself to laugh. "It seems like such a little thing…such a stupid, silly thing compared to what we are losing."

"I am only alive because of you…aren't I?"

_Yes. _"You are alive because of Ser Jaime."

Robb coughed, his hand feeling weak in her own. "He came to save you."

"But he saved you all the same." She felt like crying again, but she didn't. Cass would stay strong for him. "He took Riverrun, Robb. I'm sorry."

"You apologize as if he were of your own blood. You are not responsible for him, Cass."

She felt as though she were. Cass wanted to tell him that he was going to the Red Keep, that Jaime was sending him away, but the thought made her shiver and remember her nightmares.

It was like Robb was reading her mind when he said, "Balon Greyoy is dead."

Cass dropped his hand. Her eyes were adjusting to the dark and she could finally make out the Young Wolf's face. "What? How? When?"

"He fell into the sea, and not too long ago. My captains told me when I woke…as well as Lord Frey." Robb nearly smiled. "That was dangerous, Cass."

"It had to happen." _One king dead but there are three graves. _Cass touched Robb's cheek. It was too warm. "You won't die, Robb. I wouldn't let you die before, and I won't let you die now. Do you understand?"

"I know I'm a prisoner, Cass."

Cassana ignored him. "Your men need you and so does Edmure. And your father. Robb…I need you too. I need your help to end this."

He did not seem to be listening either. "And I know the Kingslayer will let you go. He'll let you go North to your brother and all of mine. You can…you can look out for them for me."

The words wrenched her chest and Cass sat on the edge of his bed. "Don't move…"

But he was already. Robb groaned as he shifted, and Cass smiled at his stubbornness and set her head on the pillow beside him. It was wet from his own sweat, but she didn't care. She turned her head to face him in the dark as he stared on upwards. "I've never been in love, Cass."

That threw her off, but Cass did not move. She waited as he breathed; watching his chest rise and fall, crash as he exhaled.

"But I…I understand it. I…Jaime would die for you, wouldn't he?"

"Yes." Cass admitted. "He's nearly succeeded multiple times."

"He loves you."

"I know that."

Robb swallowed. "I could not have offered you that."

She knew that too. Robb was good, perfect in many ways. He was attracted to her, but he did not love her—not yet. The topic made her nervous and she tried to break the tension. "Perhaps it is inappropriate that I be with a married man like this."

Robb chuckled and then coughed at the force. "Safe to say that marriage is annulled."

Cass smiled again. "We would have been good, Robb, if we were given the chance." She pushed his bangs back from his sticky forehead. "If this war never came…"

"You would be the Lady fo Winterfell." He smiled. "I think that's all I ever wanted. I just want that keep, Cass. I…I just want to go home, marry a girl of my choosing, and name my children Eddard and Catelyn."

"You will, Robb." She was sure of it. Cass moved and kissed him on the head. "You will marry a girl with dark hair and who knows of the old gods. You will stand in the weirwood and she will have blue roses in her hair." Tears were falling from her eyes. She could see him rotting in a cell as she spoke. "You will have so many sons and daughters that you will have to marry them off to every major house, and they will all be beautiful and strong. They will be knights and lords and ladies and you…" The tears were rolling now. "You will know what love is."

"Tell me." Robb turned his head to look at her. "What is it like?"

She swallowed as he stared at her. Cass exhaled, chest heavy, and fingered the metal ring in her pocket. "It's terrifying."

* * *

The manacles were on his wrists as soon as he could stand again. Robb Stark held his head high, eyes never falling as the metal weighed him down and the red cloaked men pushed his back. _Where's Grey Wind? _ Her eyes searched for the direwolf, but she saw him no where. He had been by Robb's bedside, allowed to live for now, but Robb knew that wouldn't last. Cass remembered Arya's wolf also disappearing in a similar fashion. _I hope he's with his brothers and sisters._

She had her own jailors behind her, hands on her shoulders. Jame was in front of her. The caravans were being loaded and they were all preparing to head out of Riverrun. Cass called the knight from behind. "You took his sword, Jaime. Are the chains necessary?"

"I'm only returning the favor." Jaime didn't turn around. He gestured for his men to put Robb into the back of one of the barred carts. "His mother put up more of a fight."

"And the rest of his men?" Cass swallowed. The Lannister guard's grip on her shoulders tightened. "How many of them died at the wedding and how many of them did you see killed yourself?"

"I've killed many of his men myself. Some you've probably talked to. Some you may have even liked." He was about to walk away, but Jaime stopped himself and turned around. "His personal guard was butchered before I could get there, and the rest of the pups are running back home to Winterfell. Lord Umber and Karstark are staying here along with Edmure Tully."

"And who is watching them while the lion is away?"

"A mountain." He eyed her. "Your hands are bound."

She lifted her own shackled wrists. The guards had placed them on her this morning, though it was the first time she had been chained even though her men had left days ago. "I'm a prisoner. What did you expect?"

"My lord, Ser Jaime." One of the men holding her said. He looked young, younger than she was and Robb, with dirty blond hair and bad acne. "Lady Cassana Baratheon attacked Walder Frey. She knows martial combat."

She grinned at Jaime. "He's right, ser. I need to be in chains, especially while traveling with all these men."

Her words had the desired affect on Jaime. He paled and pointed to the chains immediately. "Take them off."

The guard shuffled his feet. "My lord?"

The Kingslayer grabbed the guard by the front of his tunic and hissed. "I would not question my lord's commands if I were you and if he were me. Get the keys and take those damn chains off."

Cass held out her arms as her guard stumbled for the keys on his belt. She smirked at Jaime. "A wise decision, my lord."

"Be quiet, Cass."

"I wonder if you trust the men who are watching me as well. Maybe you are best watching me." She rubbed her wrists. Those chains had hurt. "I see the looks they…"

"I trust my own men." Jaime gave the Lannister guards a stern stare. "See Lady Cassana to her cage." He had his own horse brought to him, and Jaime mounted and trotted to the head of his army.

Cass tried to mimic Robb. She kept her head high, her back straight and chest out. The men were staring at her, but the looks softened as the Lannister guards grabbed the hilts of their swoards. The young blond guard answered Cass' thoughts. "Ser Jaime said that if any man laid a hand on you, they would lose that hand." He swallowed. "And if they tried to…if they...well, he'd cut that off too."

_How sweet. _ Cass saw the cart that would be her traveling cell. "And no one will touch Lady Catelyn either, yes?"

The man opened her cell door. Catelyn Stark sat on the bench, her hands bound by tight rope. The Lannister man gave her a small push inside. "I'm sure you can protect her from that."

There were scars on Catelyn's hands, and she looked too pale. Cass sat next to her on the bench and hugged her, and Cat held on to her. Her grip was vicelike, but Cass didn't mind. She had not seen Catelyn Stark since the wedding, since she saw her screaming with blood on her skirts. She was still bloodied, but there was a smile on her lips as she held Cassana in her arms. "Thank you."

"I did nothing." She held on to Catelyn's hands. "I have done nothing."

"My husband would be dead without you and my son…"

"Jaime saved him." The Starks didn't seem to be acknowledging that. "Jaime brought my men in. He stopped Roose Bolton from taking Robb's head."

Catelyn leaned back on the harsh seat. The cart started moving under the shouts of the Lannister men. "And now we are to King's Landing because of him."

_I could not make her love him no more than I could make Robert love a Targaryen. _Not that she ever tried to convince her brother of anything like that, but she saw Catelyn's hatred. They had threatened her family and she would never take that lightly. "Hate him if you want, my lady, but you owe him your life. I told you he was going to help me end this war, and he intends to keep his word." Cass stood up and started to pace. She almost fell multiple times as they went over the bumps in the road. "He will sell me to my brother and you and Robb to your husband for allegiance to Joffrey's seat."

"And your brother will give up his crown?"

_I don't know. _ "Yes."

Catelyn rubbed at her eyes. "I am as tired of war as you are, Cassana. But the Lannisters need to be brought to justice for what they have done to my family."

The words scared her, made her think that maybe Ned would think the same as his wife. And even though she was happy to see Catelyn, she couldn't help but feel incredibly mad. _This could all be over but you are worried about justice? _ Justice was a nice idea. Justice was good and well meant, but it did not stop men from dying. It would not bring back her brothers and may only result in her losing another. "Justice is not what saved your husband's life, my lady, and it won't save yours or Robb's."

Cassana didn't feel like talking anymore, but she did move back next to Lady Catelyn and untied the ropes from her hands. As much as Catelyn would hate to hear it, Jaime and she were similar in Cass' eyes. They were rash, would die for their family, and were too stubburn to bow or curtsy out. Cassana didn't have that strength. She could not stomach so much death if there was an easier way about things.

_Robert could have. Robert enjoyed the hard and bloody way. _

His rebellion had proved that to her. Cassana wished she could hold justice above all else. She wished she could have been brave enough to stab the Mad King like Jaime or start a war to rescue his love like Robert did. _He wanted justice._

But she wondered if Viserys and that girl…Daenerys thought the same. She wondered if they wanted justice too and what justice exactly was. Everyone had loved Rhaegar. Cass had been taught differently, but even Jaime said he was a man to be admired. He was no Aerys. He was a knight and a prince with a wife and no need to go and rape noblewoman.

_Why am I thinking of this?_

Lyanna Stark and Rhaeger Targaryen were no more than dust and bones. She had to worry about Stannis and Robb and herself—not some past song.

_ People called Robert the usurper. They are calling Joff that too and probably whatever king follows him._

She sat next to Catelyn again, remembering Beric and his hesitance going North. "Your men loved Robb."

Catelyn didn't say anything. She looked at the scars on her hands, raised and red and almost raw.

Cass continued. "I remember as I sat in his camps, they would shout for him. They'd scream _King in the North_ until their throats were dry and worn."

"That is right, Cassana."

_Cassana Baratheon…. _ She laughed grimly. "People will never shout my brother's name like that. Or Joffrey's. Robb was more a king than either of them." She was scaring herself. She thought of the red woman, the fire and shadow, and she knew Catelyn was thinking of it too. Catelyn was remembering the darkness that killed Renly—the fiend Melisandre had summoned.

_ Who will sit there if he wins? Who will wear the crown?_

She did not want to believe the answers her mind came up with. But as she thought about how terrible it would be for Joff to wear the crown, she thought of it on Melisandre's head. Cassana closed her eyes, the realization horrifying to her.

_I can't let Stannis win this war, can I?_

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading and let me know what you guys think! Until next week...


	23. The Goldroad

A/N:

Hey All! Sorry for the late post! So I'll make this note quick. Thanks to everyone! You're all great. Special thanks to my reviewers from last chapter:

_StarkStruck11_ (It will be. I'm excited to write it!), _icgcarlos_ (Thanks! Dany (when she finally shows up in this complicated picture) may switch things up a bit more too!), _Oberon Sexton _(I feel almost bad for Stannis. Almost. And at least Davos is a good person to have your back!), _HermioneandMarcus _(You're welcome!), _Natsirt2610 _(thanks for your two reviews! And I agree with you with the Starks bit. Ned or Robb would be great if only people weren't betraying them left and right. And good to see a Robb fan!), and _Anon_ (I would not want to be Gregor's prisoner... and hehe glad it got you!).

Disclaimer: I still own zero successful series including _ASOIAF_ and _GoT_.

* * *

Cassana woke up on the floor, spread out, her back aching from the hard wood. The days were long when she was stuck in the cart. She wasn't allowed out, and Catelyn, though supportive, was not the most social companion. Cassana was afraid of how much she could say to her. She didn't know if Catelyn would understand everything currently going through her mind, her thoughts of Stannis and her realization that Joffrey—although not the true king—may be a better one than her brother.

_She saw the shadow though. She knew what killed Renly can't rule. _But she hated the Lannisters, and understandably so. So Cass sat, silent with her own thoughts.

_ Robb would be a good king._ He had been a good king as far as Cass had seen. There were days in his camps that she would see him stop and talk to those who had been injured, those who wanted to listen to their king's words and be inspired by his cause again.

_ And he's smart too. He would know how to handle the Seven Kingdoms._

Cassana took back the thought. Robb was a Northern boy, despite his Tully look. He would not know how to run a kingdom based on new gods and more backstabbing than council meetings. And he did not want it. Robb wanted to go home, and Cass could not conceive a way to convince him otherwise. _He does not want it. And I have no power to force it upon him nor anyway to do so._

But the cold truth of _Joffrey_ being the best option made her skin squirm. "It is not my job to find a king," Cass mouthed to herself. No. It was her job to make sure they get out of this alive. That was it.

A week had passed since she had seen the sun truly in the sky or the moon, silver and large, above Westeros. But it would be not much longer after that that Jaime had unlocked the cart's door. His green eyes shone through the night. "Is Lady Stark asleep?"

Cass said nothing but stood up and approached him. Catelyn was lying on the wooden bench, her eyes closed. Cass couldn't sleep that night—nor most nights. Camps were loud, and she was unused to being around so many lions. But this particular lion made her smile. The sight of Jaime brought her comfort. She hadn't seen him since they had left Riverrun. "You finally call…"

"Shh." He grabbed her hand and took her outside. The night air hit her skin and felt so, so refreshing compared to the confines of the cart. She inhaled deeply and looked upward, taking the dirty bangs away from her eyes to see the moon.

"My Septa told me that in Essos, some people believe the moon to be an egg."

Jaime put the back of his hand against her forehead. "They're not giving you enough water, are they? You're talking madness." He handed her a water-skin on his belt and she drank while he talked. "I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner. I have to at least give the impression I intended to imprison you."

"You did imprison me."Cass handed the water back to him and directed her eyes down to the camps. There were many men singing, drinking, but her guards were away from the cart. Jaime was the one who locked the door where Catelyn slept. "Where are my guards?" Cass asked.

"Come." He turned around and kept looking to see if she'd follow. Cass didn't. Jaime snorted. "I just want to talk, Cassana. And there's some rabbit if you're hungry."

She was hungry. "I'm only coming for the rabbit."

"Of course you are."

* * *

As she entered the Kingslayer's tent, she could see his Kingsguard sword still attached to his belt on the floor, but by it was another blade. It was still wrapped, and Cass moved to touch it, avoiding the impending conversation.

"Stop."

She picked it up anyway, as Jaime turned from the blowing flap, and unwrapped the sword. It was magnificent looking—stunning. There were rubies and diamonds in the gold hilt. Black and red streaks curved in what must have been Valyrian steel. "What is this?"

"A sword, Cass. Ever heard of it?" Jaime let her hold the heavy weapon in her hands and watched curiously as she swiped the air. "My father gave it to me."

"It's magnificent."

"It's Ned Stark's old blade." He looked at it with disdain. "Maybe you could return it to him one day." The tent was rich with red and gold fabrics. Candles burned and dripped wax. There was a wooden table in the back with an untouched dinner, and the smell of spiced meat and heavy potatoes made her tongue lop out.

Cass tried to focus. "Maybe you can. Jaime…" She set the sword down and approached him. "Why did you take me out of the cell?"

"I don't want to think of you as a prisoner." His green eyes darted to the food. "Gods, you're skinny. You were never this skinny before. Eat."

"You're not going to let them send me to a cell, are you? Are you going to trap me there, Jaime?" Cass had wondered that the entire time. She would be useless to Robb and the Seven Kingdoms trapped in a cell. She drifted towards the food under Jaime's gaze, her lady manners absent from her thoughts as she saw the rabbit in front of her. It was perfectly cooked, red in the middle with plump juices flowing all over the plate. She stuffed a piece of meat in her mouth, but almost gagged at the sudden taste. It was so seasoned, so rich from what she was used to. She moved on to a peach.

Jaime waited for her to swallow and then approached her. "I know I have shit for honor, but I would do nothing to betray you. Don't you know that? Can't you understand who my vows lie with?"

She had hated him for a while, but realistically, he had done a lot for her. _He could have let me die. He could have taken Riverrun and never came to the Twins, but he did come. _She just wanted to be sure that she could…that she… "Me," she said sternly. She wasn't dumb, just nervous. Just…she didn't truly understand him. He loved his family, but he was willing to give up so much to make sure that she was okay, that her life would be what she wanted it to be. _And you have done the same for him, haven't you? Stannis wants his head, and you did so much to save it. _ "There will be no vows of any kind though. You know that."

"Maybe. But Cass…"

"No." Cass took a bite of the fruit and quickly swallowed. "I realize how I sound…Jaime…I'm not ungrateful for what you've done for me."

"Fooled me."

She grinned a little. "I'm serious."

"And I'm not ungrateful either. I know that those men in Robb's camp would have killed me. You saved my life." He laughed at one of his own thoughts, but then said, "I don't think you understood me completely. I did not mean my vows to you were marriage ones."

Cass hadn't understood him at all then. "Then what do you mean?"

"I know you compare yourself to your mother." He came even closer towards her, white coat flapping from his stride. "And I can't say I remember her, but I know of Estermont and Greenshit."

"Greenstone."

Jaime raised an eyebrow. "If you say so. You are not an Estermont, Cassana. You are no Stark or Lannister or Tully. You are a _Baratheon _and men would flock to follow you." He grabbed her other hand. "I would..."

"And take your son from the throne?" Cass looked at their laced fingers and set down her food. A part of her wanted to laugh from his suggestion and another part of her wanted to cry. Too many people wanted that damn seat for her to even imagine having it for herself. "It is moot." The men that would follow her were North, not in King's Landing. "Stannis is the heir, not me."

"Stannis is fighting in a war. His life is constantly at risk."

"But he is not dead."

"Now he isn't." Jaime didn't mean to upset her, but he was. He saw that Cass was shaking and put his hands on his shoulder. "Cass, you must accept that. War is not…"

"Stop." She could only see the graves in her mind. Balon was dead, and she knew what the seven pointed star meant. And the last grave…the one with all the heat…. "Don't say that. Don't tell me that."

Jaime shook his head. "I know it scares you. You do not want power."

She disagreed. "I do not want _that_ much power. I do not want men constantly at my back."

"I would be there, Cass. A Kingsguard serves for life."

She turned to him. "_That_ vow you would follow? Jaime, no. I don't want it. Don't even suggest that. Don't bring it up again." Her voice was becoming louder, more strained. Cass realized she had been practically shouting and she felt the salt water on her cheeks. _I do not want that godsforsaken chair. _"I rather have Joff sit on the bloody thing."

He let go of her hand at that and turned away. Cass did not like that reaction one bit.

"Jaime," she called and he looked at her, green eyes sad but resigned. He was so close to her and she could feel how scared he was of everything. It frightened her to see him like this too, to be so torn over how he felt for her and his family. She hated seeing it. "You came to the Twins for me. You joined the Kingsguard for Cersei." She scratched at her hands. "But what do _you_ want?"

"What I want has never really seemed to be anyone's concern."

"It's mine." She held his hand. "What do you want? Right now. If you could have anything."

He was silent for awhile, but when he spoke, the words seemed to flow, rush out. "I'd want to go back." The words echoed the same as Robb's before, and Jaime touched her hair. "But not to the Red Keep or Casterly Rock. I'm not cut out to be a lord, Cass. I want to go back to being a knight with Ser Arthur Dayne. I want to start this again and do it right. I want to fill the White Book with what I've done and what my men have done and protect someone worth protecting."

She felt, strangely, upset by his words. Robb had talked of marriage and children, but as she looked at Jaime now, she realized that he did not want the same— that he was the Warrior at heart. But she gripped his hand still, wondering if he had been given the option to, if he would... "If I were Queen, I could give you anything."

He stiffened. "I thought you didn't want to talk about that."

"If you really think Stannis will die…then I could be crowned." The idea was only appealing in one way. "I could do anything. Cersei saw to it with Barristan…" Her thoughts drifted. _What am I thinking?_

"What are you saying?"

"I could dismiss you too." She said softly, nervousness creeping through her skin. The precedent was there, but what she was trying to say wasn't. "I could take away all your vows."

"Cass?"

She looked away from her hands and looked at him, taking in the beard growing on his cheeks, the scratches and scars on his pale and bruised skin. She looked at him and saw Cersei, she saw Tywin and the Kingslayer and everything she was afraid of. But she saw Jaime too. Cass saw what he felt for her, and knew that she owed him the truth. "I love you, Jaime."

She turned around as soon as she said it, ashamed almost, sad and scared. Cass thought maybe she'd feel relieved at the admission, but she didn't. Her breathing seemed to stop, the air punctured out by the raw words. Her hands trembled and she scrubbed them against her legs, impatient. "I'm sorry." Cass shook her head. "I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" He was hugging her back, chin against her shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around her core. "Gods, Cass. Stop crying."

She wanted to, but the tears wouldn't be swallowed down. "But I…"

"I know, Cass. I've _known_. It's okay."

"No." She shook her head. "I love you, and it means nothing."

Jaime turned her around and directed her face back to him, wiping the stains with his thumb. "It means _something _to me."

She tried to smile, but the muscles wouldn't work. Cass tried to relax and lean into him. It made her feel safe—his body right there, warm and strong and so close to her. She let his arms move across her dress and stomach before she turned around, shy until she kissed him.

Jaime attempted to turn away from her, but only for a second. She knew they shouldn't be doing this, that it was pointless, but she would regret it if she didn't. Gods knew when she would see this man again like this. Gods knew when they'd have a chance alone together, when he could hold her and kiss her and make her smile and pretend all of this never happened. Her lips moved aggressively over his own, desperate for the friction, for the growing familiarity of his taste. And as he pushed back on her, all tongue and skin and love, she tried to keep the feeling in her. This chance may not happen again, and she needed to remember it.

She hadn't been drinking or eating nearly enough, and the sudden exertion made her feel weak. But she pushed that pain aside. It was distracting when all she wanted was to focus on Jaime. There should have been no thoughts of the wedding and where she was going and how this will never happen again. But that was all she could think about. Even as Jaime slid her down, back flat on the feather, makeshift bed. Even as the knight took off his white coat and linen shirt and looked over her, knees pressed against her sides, Cass could only think of where they would both be after all this.

And for some reason, that just made her even more determined.

She licked her lips when they broke. "I want this."

"Do you to understand what this means?" he asked warily while his hands were running along the length of her ribs and hips. "If we do this…"

"I don't like this side of you. Too much the shining white knight." She smirked. "Don't you want me too?"

Jaime did not reply—not directly at least. He fingered a loose bang from her head. "You don't want a white knight? Most girls do."

"If I wanted a white knight, I wouldn't be under you." Cass touched his beard. "I like it."

He kissed her again, harshly trailing from her cheek to her mouth and then her neck. Cass half-laughed, the feeling weird, ticklish, but she suppressed any further noise in fear it might deter him. He growled, the noise reverberating off her skin, "It's good that I don't have any honor."

"And I could be sold to some man anyway." She let her fingers trail down his neck and to his chest. _If this war ends. If I live through all of this. _ The cold was there, and so was the Stranger. She knew the Stark's words and they were too true. The days were getting shorter and darker, and shouldn't she live them the way she wanted to? While she still could? Those thoughts calmed her down, filled the consuming love with a hollow ache—a dull, deep pain. The veil of lust and heat were gone, and her words held only sincerity. "If you asked me Jaime, I would say yes."

He tried to focus on her body and not her words, but eventually said, "I didn't ask."

"I realize that," Cass said, feeling slighted by his words. "I'm just saying I would. That's it."

The comment had him move off her, which stunned Cass a bit. Jaime looked at her and then stood up from the bed before walking back to the window. He seemed angry, frustrated, and confused, and Cass didn't know what to say to have him turn back around. But she immediately wished she took the words back. _ Maybe I am a fool. I am expecting him to be someone he's not. _Embarrassed, Cassana sat up and waited for him to speak, to do _anything_ except pace and stare. "Jaime…"

He spoke sharply. "You're ruining your life this way. I would have just ruined _you_, Cass."

_Why aren't you? _ "Since when do you care about consequences? I can make my own decisions. I'm not a foolish little girl."

"You're so young. You don't…"

"Stop it." She stood. "I am a woman, Jaime. I am a lady. Don't speak to me like this."

**"**You act so strong and brave." Jaime turned. "But I know the truth, Cassana. You don't have to hide it from me. You're afraid. And I won't fuck you just to make you feel better. I won't promise you that I'll marry you when we both know it won't happen." The knight lowered his head. "I was foolish enough once to think that loving someone was enough. I won't think that way again."

She couldn't argue that she wasn't afraid, but she had more reason than pure fear driving her actions. "I just thought…" _You're the one that called me here. What do you want, Jaime? _ Cass sniffed, annoyed. "But you're right. It isn't enough. I shouldn't expect love. I grew up my whole life knowing that. I don't know why I thought it would be different now."

"It isn't." Jaime moved back to her, grabbed her hands, and dragged her up to face him. He pulled her close. "Don't misunderstand me. I wish it was, but I made my choices."

Cass lowered her head. "And why do I feel like I haven't made any?"

Though she had made a choice, a giant one. She had decided to go to the Red Keep and King's landing, and the memory of that stirred an even older memory of when she had first been told she was going there—when the stag first had a crown.

Cass wondered what drove her brother to want it so badly. She had thought her whole life that it was because of Lyanna Stark—that his love for her forced Robert's hand into war and blood and death. That Rhaegar's terrible actions had to be avenged and it was appropriate for all the Targaryens to die.

_I never really thought until now that maybe…_

But that was a lie. She didn't need to lie to herself. She had thought about it—when Jaime had taken her from the Stark camp and people called it a kidnapping. And even before that, briefly, when Ned Stark was marked a kidnapper when they had fled the Red Keep. _And now. He's your captor now, but you love him still, don't you? _Motives and emotions were not clear. But it was Jaime's words that were for some reason ringing in her ears as she tried to sort her mind out. _You came willingly enough._

Jaime went over to the desk in his tent. "There was something I actually planned on showing you."

"Is there?" She took the note he handed to her, the words in the page seeming scrambled, frantic She felt her chest collapse inwards, her ribs feeling crushed as she struggled to breathe. "This is from Cersei."

He nodded. "Good to see you can still read. Keep going."

Cass did. Her eyes read through the ink stains and scrambled letters to make out what Cersei was trying to tell Jaime. And it became obvious to Cass that this wasn't some love note, despite her first sentence on the page. "She begs for your return."

Jaime did not say anything. He turned away from Cassana and ran a hand through his blond hair.

"She knows I'm with you."

"Yes."

"And also begs for my head."

"I told you as much before."

"And I still haven't changed my mind." She set the letter down. "I also see your son is getting married soon."

Jaime took the paper back. "She's waiting for me. Though I don't see why. She never pretended he was mine before." He looked at her, deadly serious. "I can tell her you're dead, Cassana. I can tell her I killed you, and you can still leave."

"You're stubborn, aren't you?"

"As stubborn as you are. But fine." Jaime approached her again and stroked her arms. His hands went up to her shoulders and then her neck, and for a while, he just held her. Cass felt his chest fall, inhale and exhale as he thought about what he would say next. "I'll tell her you're no true prisoner. You're a ward, like Sansa Stark. I'll make her promise not to hurt you."

Cassana hesitated and looked up to see his face. "What do you want from me?"

"Just stay alive."

"There must be something…"

"No." Jaime said, a little too harshly. "I love you. I didn't think I had to explain what that meant. But it means that I would die for you. Keeping you safe goes along with that."

Her heart dropped. His passion and words still made her nervous beyond any clear reason. Cass felt herself fidget. To deflect she said, "You loved her once too."

"And you of all people know we don't choose who we fall in love with."

_Or when. _She touched his beard and then let her fingers trail down his neck. _I wish I could control this though. I wish I didn't love you, but I do. _She bit her lip, that not being the complete truth, and kissed him again. _I wish I wanted__ to love you and knew that this would turn out good in the end, Jaime. That I could be as happy with you as I could be with Robb._

But she didn't know that. She didn't know anything anymore, but Cass kissed him anyway, trying to forget who she was for a moment.

* * *

He did not come to see her again.

Catelyn Stark did not know that she had gone, and Cassana would keep it that way. She felt guilty for too many things—for loving Jaime Lannister but for doing nothing about it. For that gnawing ache that told her not to love him, to not to bother with someone like him. For Robb Stark. She felt guilty about Robb Stark and thought maybe she had sold him to lions.

_He would have been dead otherwise. _

But as she stared at Catelyn, sitting across from her in their cart—face pale and so uncertain—Cass thought that this was just a delayed killing, a prolonged death.

She had thought the same when she had first left King's Landing for Robb's camp, Ned Stark in tow. Cersei was dragging this whole ordeal out, playing cat and mouse. _She's not so good at games as she thinks she is. _ Cass swallowed as she jostled under the cart's movements. _She has too many secrets to hide, and that is a weakness. _ Though proclaiming them would also be accusing Jaime, which was something she couldn't do. And who would she tell them too? Who would protect her from Cersei if the woman decided she wanted to see Cass' head?

_Jaime will. And Tywin. Lord Tywin will need my head intact for my brother. _

But the thought of being sent back to Stannis now, and Melisandre, filled her with a different sort of dread. _They will take their Red God and go to Dragonstone and stay there. _Maybe if she thought it enough, it would be true.

Night after night, the same thoughts would circle. She was antsy. There was no room to pace, and she did not want her fear to show through to Catelyn. The woman was worried for her son and husband—for all her children. There was one night that Cass woke to Catelyn screaming in her sleep. Cass jostled her to wake her up. She had tears already on her cheeks.

"I dreamed that Walder Frey killed him."

Cass didn't need to ask who. She grabbed Catelyn's hand. "But he didn't." _He's dead. I killed Walder Frey. _Jaime's words sounded back to her. _He'd die for me. I've killed for Robb. _Would she die for him too?

"He was bleeding so much." Catelyn's grip was painful. "And then they walked over and were cutting his…" Her voice caught. Catelyn inhaled deeply and then sat up straight. "I'm sorry, Cassana."

_Your son almost died and you're apologizing? _ "He won't die." Cass repeated, for Catelyn and her sakes.

The cart then slowed until it stopped completely. Cass stumbled onto her knees and then moved to sit on the bench, grimacing at the pain. _We've stopped. _ This night they had carried on, not stopping, and Cass had wondered why before. It must have been well into the night, maybe almost dawn, by now. _Why does Jaime want to stop now?_

She walked to the barred window in the back of the cart and could see the Lannister men's tired eyes begin to ease with relief. Cass paced back and sat on the bench again, head drooping.

Catelyn noticed the strange behavior immediately. "What is it?"

She was almost relieved that she would be out of this cart, but she knew this place would bring no solace. It would be exhausting, torturous, and she had both awaiting and dreading this moment. "It is King's Landing."

* * *

A/N:

Next chapter is the Red Keep, I promise. Thanks for reading!


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